When Mary Pickford decided to film Kate Douglas Wiggin's sentimental novel "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" for her own film unit, Artcraft, she chose young, vibrant director Marshall Neilan. His style of devising amusing gags and bits of business all the while revealing a depth of characterization in his players was ideally suited to Mary's playing. He also had a personal rapport and developed a long, warm friendship with her. They found each other at the right time as she had been less than thrilled with her recent directorial experiences (Tourner and Cecil B. DeMille) and she always felt she gave her best performances under Neilan's inspired direction. Kate Douglas Wiggin also co-wrote the Broadway play that ran for 211 performances in 1911 and a part the star, Edith Taliaferro, was forever associated with.
"Aunt Miranda has a heart that is only used for the pumping and circulating of blood" - that's Josephine Crowell at her flinty and hard hearted best. She has decided to adopt one of her poor sister's children because of the heavy mortgage on Sunnybrook Farm and the "good fortune" has fallen to Rebecca Rowena (Mary) - named after the two heroines in "Ivanhoe". She instantly runs afoul of the town bully, Minnie Smellie, (Violet Wilkey) the preacher's daughter but finds a friend in Emma Jane (Marjorie Daw).
Climbing trees, poking nasty little girls with her umbrella, reciting bad verse - Aunt Miranda or the town have never seen anyone like Rebecca before. The movie is just a series of charming vignettes woven together by the inventive direction of Neilan and Pickford's ace scriptwriter Frances Marion. Some plots fall a bit flat, like the time Rebecca and Emma try their hand at selling soap door to door to win an "ellegant and grand" prize for the Simpsons - the poorest family in the town, which just happens to be a banquet lamp!!! In my copy you never actually see whether the family get the lamp, although when a kind neighbour, Mr. Aladdin buys 150 cakes, you suppose they do!! Mr. Aladdin aka Adam Ladd (Eugene O'Brien) is the romantic interest, although I don't really agree with one reviewer, I think that plot line is tastefully done.
Visitor's Day at school doesn't go down too well for Rebecca, not only does she recite a poem about pounding Minnie Smellie into jelly but the two get into an altercation and Minnie's nose is tweaked. Taking advantage of her aunt's absence, Rebecca and the kids of the town decide to put on a circus. There is a Grand Parade through the town with acts such as Rebeccaretta, the lady bare back rider. For me this is the highlight of the movie, all the performing is done by children, even a little rich kid, Fauntleroy, gets into the act as he toboggans down a huge ramp.
Marjorie Daw was actually quite pretty and was a protégé of Myron Selznick, but was far less successful than his first - Olive Thomas. Violet Wilkey had been a child actress in some of D.W. Griffith's movies but after Rebecca, retired to lead a more normal life. Wesley Barry, a discovery of Marshall Neilans, had an uncredited part as the ring master.
Highly Recommended.
"Aunt Miranda has a heart that is only used for the pumping and circulating of blood" - that's Josephine Crowell at her flinty and hard hearted best. She has decided to adopt one of her poor sister's children because of the heavy mortgage on Sunnybrook Farm and the "good fortune" has fallen to Rebecca Rowena (Mary) - named after the two heroines in "Ivanhoe". She instantly runs afoul of the town bully, Minnie Smellie, (Violet Wilkey) the preacher's daughter but finds a friend in Emma Jane (Marjorie Daw).
Climbing trees, poking nasty little girls with her umbrella, reciting bad verse - Aunt Miranda or the town have never seen anyone like Rebecca before. The movie is just a series of charming vignettes woven together by the inventive direction of Neilan and Pickford's ace scriptwriter Frances Marion. Some plots fall a bit flat, like the time Rebecca and Emma try their hand at selling soap door to door to win an "ellegant and grand" prize for the Simpsons - the poorest family in the town, which just happens to be a banquet lamp!!! In my copy you never actually see whether the family get the lamp, although when a kind neighbour, Mr. Aladdin buys 150 cakes, you suppose they do!! Mr. Aladdin aka Adam Ladd (Eugene O'Brien) is the romantic interest, although I don't really agree with one reviewer, I think that plot line is tastefully done.
Visitor's Day at school doesn't go down too well for Rebecca, not only does she recite a poem about pounding Minnie Smellie into jelly but the two get into an altercation and Minnie's nose is tweaked. Taking advantage of her aunt's absence, Rebecca and the kids of the town decide to put on a circus. There is a Grand Parade through the town with acts such as Rebeccaretta, the lady bare back rider. For me this is the highlight of the movie, all the performing is done by children, even a little rich kid, Fauntleroy, gets into the act as he toboggans down a huge ramp.
Marjorie Daw was actually quite pretty and was a protégé of Myron Selznick, but was far less successful than his first - Olive Thomas. Violet Wilkey had been a child actress in some of D.W. Griffith's movies but after Rebecca, retired to lead a more normal life. Wesley Barry, a discovery of Marshall Neilans, had an uncredited part as the ring master.
Highly Recommended.