Sweet and Twenty (1909) User Reviews

Lost film.

[andysevenfold · 3/10 · 11 April 2020]

Of this 7 minute long short film, only 47 seconds exist, so this rating is based solely on those 47 seconds.

Funny little silent gem about love and jealousy

[mrb1980 · 8/10 · 9 May 2021]

This enjoyable short silent film has three big stars--Mary Pickford, Billy Quirk, and Florence Lawrence--performing a script about young love and jealousy between two sisters. In particular, pioneer film comedian Quirk has a wonderful flair for physical comedy and shows that even with the primitive equipment of the day he understood how to make the audience laugh. It's no wonder he was a big star at this stage in his career.

Lawrence and Quirk's stars burned out early and they both sadly lived short lives ending in their early 50s. It's too bad that they left us so early and that so many of their films are lost.

Will warm the hearts of the older ones

[deickemeyer · 2 December 2014]

The Biograph people have produced a film which will warm the hearts of the older ones who see it, since it will remind them of the time when they, too, were twenty and love's dream was young, and there were quarrels and reconciliations, and a determination to kill one's self because life wasn't worth living after one of those fierce misunderstandings which occur between kids of this age. One may not think that romance is as interesting as this, but if one will recall some of one's own escapades of a similar character, then this picture will appear more like a page out of one's life, modified a bit so that those who remember will not know it is yours. The quarrel and the making up are extremely well done. In fact, there doesn't appear to be much chance for criticising the acting of the Biograph Company these days, while technically there is little that could be improved. The film is good and deserves wide distribution that the millions may enjoy it, too. - The Moving Picture World, July 31, 1909

Mary Pickford teams up with Billy Quirk

[Single-Black-Male · 31 December 2003]

Following the success of 'The Lonely Villa' and 'The Way of Man', Mary Pickford was teamed up with Billy Quirk in this first of four short films. Griffith had an eye for talent when he plucked Pickford from obscurity because he knew that she would earn him his fortune as America's darling.