Little Mary Sunshine (1916)

Just after Bob's fiancée breaks off their engagement, he meets young Mary, whose mother has just died, and the two of them comfort each other.

Director:

Henry King

Stars:

Marie Osborne, Henry King, Marguerite Nichols

Cast

Cast overview:
Marie Osborne	...	Mary (as Baby Marie Osborne)
Henry King	...	Bob Daley
Marguerite Nichols	...	Sylvia Sanford
Andrew Arbuckle	...	Bob's Father
Mollie McConnell	...	Sylvia's Mother

Storyline

Bob celebrates his engagement to Sylvia by going out drinking with his friends, which causes him to be late for a date with his fiancée. When Bob then lies to her about where he was, Sylvia breaks off the engagement. Meanwhile, young Mary is at home with her ailing mother when her drunken father arrives and beats Mary's mother until she is dead. In the resulting confusion, Mary wanders off and is met by the despondent Bob. He takes her home to his parents, who agree to care for her. In return, Mary is a source of comfort for Bob, and the broken engagement plus the knowledge of what happened to Mary's mother convinces Bob to give up drinking forever. Meanwhile, Bob's father tries to encourage Sylvia to come back.

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Plot Keywords:

broken engagement | assault | promise | physical abuse | fiancee | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 1916 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Balboa Amusement Producing Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Pleasant, If A Little Bland, & A Chance to See A Forgotten Child Star

This pleasant if somewhat bland feature is not bad for its time and genre, and it offers a chance to see Baby Marie Osborne, a long forgotten child star of her era. The feature was made during the years when film-makers were gradually learning the differences between short features and full-length movies, and this is an example of a story that would have been perfect for a somewhat shorter movie. Nevertheless, it's worth seeing, just a little slow.

Osborne plays "Little Mary Sunshine", a young child who is suddenly orphaned and taken in by the parents of Bob, a young man whose drunkenness has just ruined his engagement. The actual story is mostly a setup for the interaction between Osborne and her new family. Much of the time, she is simply expected to look engaging, while the adult characters drive the action.

Osborne does get a couple of sequences in which she is really the star, and they are the most entertaining parts of the movie. The sequences with the tame bear are amusing, and the interplay between the child and the equally endearing bear is enjoyable. Henry King both directed and played Bob, and he did a solid job on both counts.

Osborne made a fair number of movies as a child, but this seems to be the only one that has been found anywhere. Aside from providing some light entertainment, it is worth seeing to watch one of many of the stars of the era, who would otherwise not be remembered except through second-hand accounts and a handful of brief screen appearances later in her life.