Pollyanna

Plot synopsis:
The film opens in the Ozarks where a distraught Pollyanna (Mary Pickford) is comforting her father the Reverend John Whittier (Wharton James) as he dies. After his death Pollyanna is sent to live on a New England plantation with her Victorian Aunt Polly (Katherine Griffith).
Aunt Polly is cold and uncaring to Pollyanna: not picking her up at the station, giving her a sparse room in the attic, and scolding at her every chance she gets. As the days pass Pollyanna's antics amuse the servants, but not Aunt Polly.
One day while playing on the plantation, Pollyanna gets in trouble with a servant woman and runs to hide in a haystack. There she meets Jimmy Bean (Howard Ralston), an orphan her age. Taking pity on him, Pollyanna is certain eventually Aunt Polly will let him live with them. So she hides him in the cellar. One day Aunt Polly insists in going in the cellar despite Pollyanna's pleas for fear Jimmy will be discovered. Jimmy is asleep and Pollyanna believes they're in the clear; until Jimmy starts shouting in his sleep, having a bad dream about turnips chasing and trying to eat him. Pollyanna is amused but Aunt Polly is not. After some pleading, Aunt Polly relents and tells Pollyanna to bring some good quilts for Jimmy.
One day, as Jimmy and Pollyanna play with the other children, they decide to try and steal some apples from a tree belonging to John Pendleton (William Cortleigh). John catches Pollyanna in the act, but forgives her, realizing she is the exact image of her mother, a woman he once loved deeply, but who left him to marry the man who eventually became Pollyanna's father. He tells Pollyanna this as he shows her a painting of her mother. Meanwhile Jimmy fights his way in, fearing that Pollyanna is in danger. He tries to defend her but finds that everything is normal.
As Pollyanna settles in she seems to bring optimism to those she meets. She is insistent on playing a game her father taught her called 'The Glad Game', where one counts the things they are glad for. She visits an old shut-in who is supposedly grateful for nothing. Pollyanna brings along an old blind and deaf friend who plays the accordion. Upon discovering the woman is blind and deaf, the shut-in proclaims her gratitude for still having her sight and hearing.
One day after a fight with Jimmy in which he 'wishes she would die', Pollyanna heads into town. She notices a little girl playing in the middle of the road, oblivious to a car coming. Pollyanna leaps in front of the car, throwing the girl to safety, but in the process is hit herself. Jimmy and John both take her back to her Aunt's place. Aunt Polly becomes frantic and places her in her own lavish bedroom. Realizing the error of her ways, Aunt Polly declares how attached to Pollyanna she is; even giving her a kiss on the forehead, much to Pollyanna's delight.
Realizing they could have lost the little girl forever, many succumb to her wishes for them to be happy. John promises to adopt Jimmy the next day. Aunt Polly refuses to call Dr. Tom, (Herbert Prior), who broke her heart years before. Pollyanna pleads to send for him but she refuses, bringing in another doctor. After several days, they discover Pollyanna is paralyzed from the waist down. Pollyanna becomes distraught; however Jimmy comforts her, insisting she play the Glad Game.
Months pass and Pollyanna begins to use a wheelchair. One evening with Aunt Polly, she pleads one last time for her to send for Dr. Tom and Aunt Polly finally relents. With the help of Dr. Tom, Pollyanna is eventually able to walk again.
With the success of her walking comes the realization of her wishes. Aunt Polly reunites romantically with Dr. Tom; and Jimmy is happily living with John. One day she asks for Jimmy and he comes to wheel her around the garden. He gives Pollyanna a ring and promptly runs off out of fear, not realizing Pollyanna is able to walk. She is excited at the ring and happily runs after him.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Way shorter and sweeter than any of the remakes - UK ITV did it again a couple of years ago at nearly 2 hours long with only 1 saccharine tab.
It's far too short in fact, as Aunt Polly doesn't really get enough time for her character to develop properly in reaction to events caused by Pollyanna.
Otoh I think Disney's was a bit too long and flat, but hey I'm hardly ever satisfied!Pollyanna always tries to find ways of being Glad, no matter what happens.
And why not, imho it's far better to be happy in this short life - if it isn't keep it to yourself!
By now Mary Pickford was 27 playing 12 and was still getting away with it on screen.
I know she was later properly praised for saving a lot of her classic pictures from being lost, but she really can't be thanked enough for it not only from the entertainment point of view but the historical one as well.
This version of Pollyanna reflects back to us a world long dead, where you can watch and wonder what the actors and actresses would have thought of the cynical deadbeat filth that Hollywood churns out today, and whether or not they in their turn yearned too for the even simpler world of Pollyanna.Maybe, and perhaps, this film simple and uncluttered as it is will still be available in the distant future and watched by people when every film made now is long forgotten, unknown and unwatched..
America's Sweetheart as The Glad Girl.
POLLYANNA, the young orphan of an Ozark missionary, arrives in New England to live with her spinster Aunt Polly, a withdrawn & bitter woman.
Through her `Glad Game' - finding joy in every situation - irrepressible Pollyanna slowly begins to change the lives of the entire community, eventually finding the love she so desperately craves.This splendid family film, based on the Eleanor H.
28-year old Mary Pickford is wonderfully believable as a little girl.
She dominates her every scene with star quality few others ever possessed.The rest of the cast is also very good, especially Katherine Griffith as sullen Aunt Polly & Howard Ralston as young orphan Jimmy Bean.
The sets & location filming are also worthy of mention.The pipe organ score for this silent film is performed by virtuoso Gaylord Carter, The Wizard of the Keyboard..
it's too cute, but Mary Pickford makes it work anyway.
Pollyanna is the young girl who can find something happy in any situation.
She faces numerous unfortunate events, starting with the death of her father, leaving her an orphan in the Ozarks.
Sorry, no spoilers from me!Pollyanna's cheerfulness in the face of misfortune makes the story too cheerful to believe.
But somehow Mary Pickford managed to make the character and the story work.
Although she was in her late 20s, she made a convincing young girl, thanks to her shortness, good costuming and hairdressing, but mostly her acting talent.
Lovely little film.
I enjoyed Mary Pickford in this film version of Pollyanna.
This would make a nice double bill with Mary's Little Lord Fauntleroy on a future DVD release.
I get tired of the boring organ scores on the old vhs tapes; way past time to update these films with new musical scores, and to get Mary the recognition she deserves for bringing to life some of these classics..
Pickford Adds Her Charm to the Familiar Story.
It would be hard to find a role more suitable for a particular actress than the role of "Pollyanna" is for Mary Pickford, and in this adaptation she adds her own charm to the old-fashioned story about the 'glad girl'.
This version moves quickly, and has a good balance between humor and drama, with Pickford making the most of what the unashamedly upbeat story offers.The story is the familiar one of young Pollyanna moving in with her austere Aunt Polly (Katherine Griffith, who is pretty good in the role), making a habit of finding ways to brighten the lives of those who need it, but then finding herself faced with a crisis in her own life.
The characters are fairly simple, but the cast portrays them believably.
The script does a good job of telling the story efficiently and enjoyably, and everything fits together pretty well..
The original version, short and sweet..
"Pollyanna" (United Artists, 1920), directed by Paul Powell, stars Mary Pickford, then age 27, playing a 12-year-old orphaned daughter of a missionary whose inextinguishable optimism brings joy and hope into the life of her new guardian, Aunt Polly (Katherine Griffith).
Also featured in the cast are Wharton James and Helen Jerome-Eddy.Enjoyable silent comedy-drama, compliments of Blackhawk Video, with organ score by Gaylord Carter, which for me is a BIG plus.
This version runs 60 minutes, only 70 minutes shorter than the latter 1960 Walt Disney remake that starred Hayley Mills.
As written in the opening titles, "Pollyanna" became Mary Pickford's first feature for United Artists.
A worthy version of a famous story.
I own every version of "Pollyanna", and I have to say that I will possibly watch this one the most.
I am not saying anything is wrong with the 1960 Disney version (it is a great film), but this version is half the length of the others (it is hardly an hour long) and much more sentimental.
If you are a "Pollyanna" fan (the book or movies) or love sentimental movies, this is a must-see.
Mary Pickford stands out in this well-acted film as Pollyanna, and is very convincing despite being an adult.
Howard Ralston is also great as the orphan Jimmy Bean.
The film is only about 60 minutes long while the others are over 2 hours, and it may be hard to believe, but this version is cut down as much as possible while still being logical, and that is a major feat.
POLLYANNA is a charming piece of nostalgia, an era of innocence and gentleness in America that was already fading away when this film was made in 1920.
The movie was one of the blockbuster hits of Mary Pickford's career but it's reputation in later decades was slammed even by Mary and screenwriter Frances Marion, I presume because they didn't want the public to think all Pickford films were sticky sentimental, affected and coy as this one was presumed to be as "Pollyanna" became something of a buzz word for those emotions in a more jaded era.
That's a shame because the movie holds up very nicely and still has loads of charm and quite a bit of good humor.Pollyanna's widowed father is dying and after his death she is sent off to live with her stern old maid of aunt, Aunt Polly (Katherine Griffith).
Pollyanna's sweet nature gets on Auntie's nerves (inspired by her father, Pollyanna always looks on the bright side of things and finds a reason to be "glad" about every situation) and her rambunctiousness only makes it worse.
Pollyanna charms everyone else in town however particularly orphan boy Jimmy (Howard Ralston) who becomes something of a boyfriend.This movie runs under an hour and frankly could stand for at least another fifteen minutes.
There are a number of supporting characters in this film that come in that aren't fully developed (ie: John Pendleton, the rich man who was once in love with Pollyanna's mother or Dr. Chelton, who was Aunt Polly's beau in her youth) but the movie is so expertly done one can hardly complain.
Mary Pickford is absolutely sensational in this movie, always appealing, often funny and moving.
She was 27 at the time this was made but utterly believable as a twelve-year-old.
Matching her performance is splendid work done by young Howard Ralston (then 15 but looking a few years younger) as Jimmy and the excellent character actress Katherine Griffith as cross Aunt Polly (who, having to have something good to say about her, Pollyanna comes up with "I'm glad she's not twins!").
Miss Griffith passed away just one year after the movie was made and Howard Ralston made only a handful of films after this, all apparently in minor roles and most of them lost now.
This movie is a testament to their talent as much as it is Mary's.
If you are open to spending a hour in old-fashioned sentiment, you could hardly find a better vehicle than POLLYANNA..
Not bad, but not even close to being Mary's best....
It seems that Mary Pickford and writer Frances Marion both disliked this film and found it cloying, so my feelings about the film are not coming from out in left field!
However, I STILL liked the film despite poor writing.Mary plays the title character--an unrealistically chipper and nice young lady who always seems to find the good in everything.
In other words, instead of just SHOWING Pollyanna being optimistic and sweet, the film literally kept telling us this again and again--not just in the intertitle cards but in how everyone talked about her.
So, when Pollyanna would talk down the street, people would make comments like "Wow...that Pollyanna...she's ALWAYS so sweet and optimistic"!!
It all came off a bit like drivel...BUT Mary Pickford's characters still were so endearing that even though this comes off a bit heavy-handed, it still was a sweet film despite its shortcomings.While this film is very much like most of Pickford's full-length films, it is perhaps among the most schmaltzy.
But, the acting is still generally good and the film is technically well made, so I say watch it anyway!
After her father dies, little Mary Pickford (as Pollyanna Whittier) goes to live with dutiful spinster aunt Katherine Griffith (as Polly Harrington).
Ms. Pickford arrives during a drenching rainstorm; soon, she discovers her accommodations, and the New England town, are utterly miserable.
Pickford faces all unhappiness with gladness, however.
She maintains a "positive attitude" through crisis after crisis The story's events, and Pickford's reactions to them, reach admittedly absurd levels.
Yet, "Pollyanna" has the whimsical, surreal quality that makes the best of the juvenile Pickford vehicles work.
Examples include the magical introduction of the "Aunt Polly" character, and the turnip dream of "Jimmy Bean".
Also, note that the film is appropriately introduced: "This is really not a story; it's a rainbow, born of the sunshine of a little girl's smile glistening through her tears; it's a fantasy of children's laughter, of hope, of gladness; for Pollyanna's 'Glad Game' holds forth this message: 'Be Thou the rainbow to the storms of life, the joyous beam that smiles the clouds away.'" A heavy-handed, but faithful, reflection of the Eleanor H.
Porter book.Teenage "leading man" Howard Ralston (as Jimmy Bean) deserves special mention, with a performance that upstages his infinitely more well-known co-star; his smile fills the screen as well as Pickford's.
Many of Pickford's films depended on effective young actors; and, Mr. Ralston was one of the most memorable.
Ms. Griffith's "Aunt Polly" also helps "Pollyanna" to succeed.
******** Pollyanna (1/18/20) Paul Powell ~ Mary Pickford, Howard Ralston, Katherine Griffith.
best for the Pollyannas among you.
If your skin will break out from too much sweetness, light and Hollywood "reality", you should skip this picture.Mary Pickford is mostly believable as a preteen girl since the adult cast towers over her.
Nice sets and costumes (though no Hollywood glamour) and a pleasant look at small town life.This is Mary Pickford's first film for United Artists (of which she was a part owner), so it was supposed to be a safe moneymaker and Mary is cast to and plays to what sold in the past..
"Pollyanna" was a film directed by Herr Paul Powell which starred Dame Mary Pickford.
This was a faithful first adaptation for the screen of the famous and best-seller novel written by Eleanor H.
It was very difficult to understand for this German Count due to the strange concepts and feelings with which this silent film deals.
They include such strange subjects for the aristocracy like kindness, merriment and solidarity (thanks Gott there is also in the film evil aunties, bad weather and illness, German earthly matters that this aristocrat knows well).Obviously such film story with human sentiments (another orphan in trouble) was perfect for Dame Pickford.
This film was her first work for United Artists, that Amerikan company founded by Herr Chaplin, Herr Griffith and Herr Fairbanks together with America's sweetheart.
She's a glad girl who displays her charm and good intentions to anyone at hand.
The film, as the book of which was based on, was a big success in those early silent times and many film critics considered this film as one of the best in Dame Pickford's film career, a statement with which this German Count doesn't agree.Keeping in mind those kind-hearted and innocent characters ( Dame Pickford speciality ) and the context or even the taste of the popular audience in those early times, the film it is many ways, simplistic and predictable.
He seems to think that with Dame Pickford's talent on the screen, that is enough for succeed.
Although Dame Pickford gives her best effort, the Amerika's sweethart has better performances, more elaborated, and the most incredible thing  credible.And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count is glad to be again in Teutonic humour.Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/.
Not really good, even for a silent.
I like silent films, but this was a little too moronic.
I don't think any version of the movie even comes close to the book.
And the lady who played Pollyanna, how old was she?
" Delightful Mary Pickford ".
At this point in her career, Mary Pickford hadn't played a little girl throughout a picture since "The Little Princess" made three years earlier.
Her fans had been clamouring for years for Mary to do Pollyanna.
Mary's mother Charlotte, had bought the rights to the novels Pollyanna and Daddy-Long-Legs, and Pickford was determined that her films would match the wondrous fame of these beloved books.
Pickford plays the glad girl very well through this fast paced film, but admitted growing tired of the saintly Pollyanna and decided to inject a moment of deviltry to the character.
She writes in her autobiography, While the cameras were grinding away one day, I caught a fly on the table, scooped it up and said, " Little fly, do you want to go to heaven?" With that I smacked my two hands together and said, "You have!" That fly in the ointment of Pollyanna's purity was definitely not in the script, but it remained in the picture.
Mary also talks about the difficulty, to keeping up the facade of looking like a little girl.
The little girl of about seven, was one of the many spectators who had gathered to watch.
Mary distinctly heard her say, "Mama, she's not a real little girl, she's got long fingernails." Mary promptly lopped off the incriminating nails.
Even though Mary Pickford grew tired of playing the glad girl, her fans certainly weren't disappointed by her outstanding and sensitive portrayal of the ten-year old orphan.
It should also be noted this was Pickford's first film released through United Artists, and grossed more than a million dollars in 1920.
For fans of Pollyanna and Mary Pickford, this is a very delightful movie to watch..
"Pollyanna" was a film hated by both the star, Mary Pickford, and the writer Frances Marion (according to Marion) and I think it showed in the movie.
Lo and behold toward the end of the movie a title appears "Her Aunt didn't forget but now months have passed"!!!
The movie was also not a patch on the later Disney remake with Hayley Mills - and I don't really care for remakes!!
It seemed to be a series of circus songs and the movie was what I would call dramatically sentimental.
I agree with other reviews, a new score would have enhanced this movie no end.
Paul Powell was probably not one of Mary's more inspired directors and also by the end of 1920 she was hoping to break away from the child photoplays that the public loved.
She wanted to explore more dramatic, adult roles and although her public refused to let her grow up, during the twenties she was able to play more diverse characters ie "Suds" (1920) and when she had to play a child ie "Little Lord Fauntelroy" she made sure she also played his mother "Dearest" as well.Pollyanna Whittier (Mary) a little orphan girl from the Ozarks goes to stay with her cranky Aunt Polly in New England.
The next day she meets Jimmy Bean, a runaway orphan who is looking for a real home.
Pollyanna takes him to the Ladies Aid Society, hoping that Aunt Polly will adopt him as well - she doesn't but she is fast coming under the young girl's spell.
Even though the movie is episodic, it has little linking stories ie Mr. Pendergast is the richest and loneliest man in town, he shut himself away from the world when the girl he loved married a preacher and went to live in the Ozarks.
He is just one of the many people she helps by playing the "Glad Game", a game taught to her by her father.
Aunt Polly is eventually helped as well, she had been engaged to the town doctor, Dr. Chiltern but due to a falling out they had not spoken for many years.
When Pollyanna faces her greatest challenge, she pleads with Aunt Polly that Dr. Chiltern is the only one that can make her well.Some of the fantasy sequences were cute.
Jimmy being chased by giant turnips and when Pollyanna and Jimmy dream about when they are married with about a dozen children all piling on to Jimmy's street car.
I have an early edition of "Pollyanna" (Pages of Boston) from 1915.
Apart from that, at the back of my book there is a page of "Glad" calenders, diaries etc, so the success of Pollyanna and the Glad Game cannot be under estimated.