Throughout her career Mary Pickford
played girls who were much younger than she actually was. In the teens she was
in her twenties playing little girls. Even into the twenties she was playing
sassy bright happy little girls. Today an actress who looks like she could play
a twelve year old could never pull it off. Pickford pulled off playing young
girls because she looked like one. She was short, had long curls, and had a
small face with these wide childlike eyes. I have seen several of Pickford’s
films and her playing these types of characters does not get boring. Pollyanna was one of her films where she
plays a cute little girl with a big heart.
Pollyanna
had been living in the Ozark all her life with her father. Her father has died
and left her with an aunt named Polly in a small town in New England. Pollyanna
had a big heart and plays a game called the Glad Game. No matter what happens
in her life there is always a reason for her to be glad. Not even the rainy
windy weather upon her arrive brings her happiness down. The moment Aunt Polly
sees Pollyanna she is a mean old lady mad at her niece for getting her all wet
and tracking mud through the house.
As
the movie progresses we see Pollyanna bringing light into the town. She befriends
a boy named Jimmy Bean who is also an orphan. Pollyanna tries to get her aunt
to adopt him but Polly only sees him as a dirty little boy who belongs outside.
Pollyanna also meets a man who the boys are afraid of. Mr. Pendleton- as the
title card explains- was once in love with a girl who married a man and went
off to live in the Ozarks. Pollyanna was picking apple on his property and Mr.
Pendleton helped her to get down. He was yelling at her bit and then is shocked
when he looks into her eyes and recognizes them as his lost love’s. Pollyanna
is brought into his house and Jimmy storms in thinking Mr. Pendleton is doing
something mean to her.
There
are more cute stories like this throughout the film. Think of the stories in Amélie and how she helped Nino and the
people in the building and that is what Pollyanna
is like.
Pollyanna I have to say has been one of
my favorite silent films I have seen since starting Silent Sundays. Lately I have
been feeling a little sad and anxious and Pollyanna
was perfect I had such a great time watching it. Some scenes were really funny.
Mary Pickford was excellent. I can see her appeal and why she played little
girls for so long she was so good at that part. I have to admit it was odd to
see that her love interest was an actual kid. You can tell she was an adult
around actual kids so that was a bit weird even though their relationship was
just a friendship. As I mentioned at the beginning I have seen several of Mary
Pickford’s films but not enough to say what her best is. But if I were to ever
teach a film class Pollyanna would be
the Mary Pickford film I would show to the class.
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