PamelaShort Review of The Poor Little Rich Girl

The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917)

Mary Introduces ' Baby Spots ' in The Poor Little Rich Girl

[10/10 · 2 August 2013]

Although it has been well documented, as to the use of taller actors, specially scaled sets, and larger props all used to help Mary Pickford appear as childlike in appearance as possible, it was Pickford herself who discovered by accident during the filming of The Poor Little Rich Girl, a new lighting technique to further enhance the little girl illusion. She describes in her autobiography of one morning while powdering her nose in the large mirror of a dresser, when a small hand mirror lying at an angle caught the glow of the early morning sunlight and reflected it flatteringly on her face. She went to the studio bursting with her discovery and immediately went to director Maurice Tourneur and asked if he would have the cameraman place one of the spotlights down low. Mr.Tourner laughed at her new idea but Mary convinced him to shoot a scene the usual way, then shoot it the way she suggested telling him then to decide for himself. The difference was so great that the use of low-lying light to reflect back into the actor's face, called ' baby spots', became standard practise in the industry. Another example of the genius of Mary Pickford and her keenness to further the advancement of cinematography. Her portrayal of Gwendolyn the neglected little rich girl, is absolutely astonishing to watch. Both Mary and Frances Marion had great fun adding comical bits to the screenplay and the merriment shows in Mary's performance. With the tremendous success of this film, Mary Pickford would comply with her fan's wishes and continue to successfully play the little girl role in several more delightful classic novels. Unfortunately, many still believe the accomplished actress only played little girls, and nothing could be further from the truth. If only one could view the entire work of Mary Pickford years before this film, her roles were filled with amazing diversity. With that being said, Pickford's film version of The Poor Little Rich Girl is a wonderfully enjoyable work of silent cinema.