THE SAWDUST RING is a short and sweet silent feature from America. I should note that the version I saw lasted just 10 minutes, substantially shorter than the running time listed here on IMDb, but the version showed no signs of having been cut down, so if they did do so then they did it very effectively.
This family drama manages to be sweet and infused with a happy ending without being too sentimental. A youthful Bessie Love plays the very sympathetic character of a girl who never knew her father's identity after her mother ran out on him when she was still a baby. After her mother's death, she and a friend run away to join the circus, only to discover by a huge coincidence that the ringleader is indeed her father. It's pretty simplistic stuff but not without character and indeed characterisation.
This family drama manages to be sweet and infused with a happy ending without being too sentimental. A youthful Bessie Love plays the very sympathetic character of a girl who never knew her father's identity after her mother ran out on him when she was still a baby. After her mother's death, she and a friend run away to join the circus, only to discover by a huge coincidence that the ringleader is indeed her father. It's pretty simplistic stuff but not without character and indeed characterisation.