The Global Archive For Devotees of Little Miss Grown-Up: Cult Guide

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

Little Sallie O'Brien, who sells newspapers on the city streets, is adopted by Bridget Cassidy, the landlady, when her mother dies. Mrs. Cassidy treats the child cruelly, but soon the wealthy James Wilson befriends Sallie and takes her into his home. Sallie is befriended by Wilson's son Richard, but his daughter Marjorie dislikes the impish little girl. Although Frederick Mason is in love with Marjorie, she refuses to marry him because she finds him too lacking in boldness and chivalry to suit her romantic temperament. Having overheard Frederick's proposal, Sallie induces Bridget's son Patrick to visit the house in the guise of "the Duke of Galway." Marjorie becomes infatuated with the "duke" and promises to marry him, but Mrs. Cassidy appears and exposes her prodigal son. Richard saves Sallie from a whipping, while Marjorie finally accepts Frederick.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Moonlight Nights perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A rich man's son is forced to find a job, and he finds one at a night club after getting his predecessor sacked. He makes mistakes and causes accidents. When a valuable garter is lost by the star of the floor show, he scams customers with some fakes, leading to a chase that spills out onto the streets.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

Country girl Claire Marley goes to the city to pursue a life of excitement, while her twin sister Ida remains home to care for their aging parents. Immersing herself in life with the fast set, Claire becomes the mistress of wealthy bachelor Roy Vangrift who promises to marry her. After Roy tires of Claire and casts her off, she leaves him to earn a respectable living, but failing at this, returns home. Shortly afterward, Roy goes fishing and makes his camp near the Marley home where he meets Claire's sister Ida with whom he falls in love. Discovering that Roy plans to elope with her sister, Claire - with the aid of the minister - takes Ida's place and the two are married. She then reveals her true identity and Roy, realizing that he really loves his bride, forgives Claire.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Checkmate perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Alice, a little newsgirl known as "Sticks", spends her time fighting for her territory against a lot of tough kids. When Sticks witnesses an attack upon her favorite customer, the wealthy young James Morgan, she tries to defend him and, as a result, they are both knocked unconscious by the thugs and thrown on a baggage car. Awakening in a small town, they decide to stay. Morgan finds a job with the railroad and they take up house in a small cottage until Morgan's father and his sweetheart Ruth Borden discover his hiding place. Overhearing their conversation, Sticks thinks that Morgan is staying just for her and so she leaves him and later is adopted by a wealthy man. Morgan loses all sight of his little pal until years later when he chances to visit her adoptive father's house on business and finds her. Discovering that their strong attachment has endured through the years, the two decide to marry.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

Little Dot Jarvis is tolerated, but not loved, by her ambitious parents, who send her to boarding school so they can move into a fashionable apartment building that does not allow children. At school, Dot is treated so cruelly that she runs away, but a kind farmer takes her to the police station and she is returned to her parents. When Dot's father becomes involved in a scheme to smuggle arms into Mexico, Dot's photograph prevents newspaper owner Robert Chase from exposing him. Repentant, Dot's parents finally give her the love she had so sorely missed.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Bit of Kindling perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Joyce Tolliver, whose nickname is Muggsy, plays baseball, fights and swears with boys, and is severely punished by her elders. When she grows up, she is disguised as a boy, and sent to live with a wealthy old uncle, Leslie Bolton, who hates women. Her ruse works perfectly until she falls in love. When Bolton e discovers that his supposed nephew is really his niece, he orders her out, but after he realizes that he cannot get along without her, he sends for her to return.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

Having lost his fortune through poor speculation, stockbroker John Porter goes West with his wife and young daughter Bab. After ten years on the ranch, Bab develops into the real cowgirl and falls in love with neighboring ranch owner Richard Sterling, a former clerk who, through shrewd maneuvering, struck it rich. Bab's mother, who has social ambitions, frowns upon the affair, and when oil is discovered on their ranch, she seizes the opportunity to send her daughter back East to finishing school. Returning home for vacation, Bab discovers that her mother and father have separated. Bab then decides to fix everything up, beginning with her parents' marriage and ending with her own wedding to Sterling.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of No Children Wanted perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Betty, the pretty daughter of Jonathan Brownlee, a retired capitalist, is impulsive and mischievous, delighting in pranks that keep her father and the servants of the household in perpetual apprehension. Brownlee's stock phrase is "Betty Be Good," constant, though rather futile, appeal on his part to the high-spirited girl, who tells her friends she is weary of being lectured on her tomboy achievements. Peter Madison, mayor of the city, is at enmity with Millionaire Brownlee over political matters. He has a son, Jimmy Madison, who is masquerading as a uniformed policeman in order to detect grafters on the force. Brownlee secures what he believes to be evidence of political crookedness on the part of the mayor. The documents are lost when Betty, in one of her escapades, drives off with the car in which her father has left them. Jimmy arrests Betty for stealing the car and papers, being unaware of her identity. Betty and Jimmy fall in love, and the denouement does not come until Millionaire Brownlee's suspicions against Mayor Madison are proved unfounded and the two men shake hands. Jimmy reveals himself to Betty in his true character and the drama ends happily.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

Erma Desmond gets a job as a companion to high society's Bertie Stanley, to whom she bears a striking resemblance. While her husband Hugo has been in Europe, Bertie has fallen in love with another man, so she makes plans to go to Reno for a divorce. She urges Erma to stay in the Stanley mansion and assume her identity while she is gone, so that no one will be aware of her absence. An obedient Erma agrees and the masquerade works perfectly until Hugo returns unexpectedly from Europe and Erma must fool the man who knows Bertie best. After some initial problems, Hugo gets along better with Erma than he ever did with Bertie, and as a result, when word comes that Bertie has a fresh divorce and a new husband, Hugo first determines the identity of the woman living with him, and then marries her.

Dir: Sherwood MacDonald

On his deathbed Steele Weir's father tells his son of a band of criminals who framed him for murder and robbed him of valuable land in the West. Under contract to build a dam, Steele goes to the headquarters of the gang; and becoming aware of his identity, they plot against him with the services of lawyer Martinez. He, however, proves to be Steele's friend and obtains evidence against the gang. When Ed Sorenson, the leader's son, steals the evidence, Steele's sweetheart, Janet, outwits the enemies, and after many adventures the bandits are convicted and Steele wins the girl.