Volume II: Filmography

COUSINS

July 28, 1912 (Sunday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Drama

Director: Lucius Henderson

Cast: Marion and Madeline Fairbanks (cousins), Edward J. Hayes (vaudeville artist), Lila Chester (vaudeville artist), Carey L. Hastings (mother on the farm), Justus D. Barnes (father on the farm)

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture News, July 27, 1912:

"HAPPY MOMENTS IN THANHOUSER FILMS: Thanhouser pictures not only make a spectator smile, but even get a smile from the players themselves. Take the latest issues of the three-a-week for easy example. There is the picture of Cousins, released July 28, in which two little girls who are related, as the title implies, decide to change places. They bear a wonderful resemblance to each other. So wonderful, indeed, that even their parents are kept guessing as to their exact identity when the children are together and dressed alike. One is a farmer's daughter and the other is a stage magician's daughter. The latter assists her father while the farmer's child merely assists around the house. Both think a transfer in positions would be highly diverting. In the accompanying view [illustration in the article] you catch them talking the matter over, and the prospect for an interesting time makes them smile. As a matter of fact, the plan doesn't work out at all well. The magician's daughter makes a horrible mess of her new household duties, and the farm girl finds she is a poor stage assistant to the delight of a large audience." (Here follow discussions of Treasure Trove and A New Cure for Divorce, other Thanhouser films, to which refer).

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, July 27, 1912:

"One little girl lived in the country. She was a model child, everybody admitted it, but it cannot be denied that she was more or less of a crybaby and coward. Her mother, a prim, respectable country woman, was very fond of little Ann. The mother had a sister, concerning whom she was more or less reticent, for the sister was a 'lady magician,' and was proud of the 'time' she did land in vaudeville. The lady magician, playing a city near her old home, decided to run down and see her sister. She brought her little girl along, and there were many exclamations of wonder when it was seen how much the two children resembled each other. The children talked it over too, while they were along together, and each told the other of her life. The country child was envious when she heard that her cousin lived in the beautiful atmosphere of the theatre, and the stage child wistfully expressed a desire to have 'a real home,' and not be compelled to make long jumps from town to town. The same idea struck both of them simultaneously. If each would be happier in the other's life, why not shift identities; so they exchanged clothes, and the lady magician went away not knowing that a strange little girl had been 'palmed off' on her.

"Now the little girls had been so busy chattering that they had been unable to post each other on their new lives. The stage child was her mother's aide and accomplice. At one period in the act she was placed on the stage, a screen put in position around her, and when the screen was removed, there was no little girl, but a moment later the child tripped up the main isle of the theatre, having been wafted outside in some extraordinary way. On the afternoon of the country child's debut, however, something went wrong with the signals, and when the screen was removed, there was the dear little child, looking wonderingly around. Wild with rage, the magician made a grab for her, but the girl escaped, and made a beeline for her home in the country nearby. Luckily she got inside, unnoticed, except for by the former stage child. The latter was very glad to change identities, and the country girl was very thankful, especially when the magician arrived, grabbed her own child, and punished her for the awkwardness of the other in the theatre. The little country girl believed that she had got the best of the bargain, but just then several boys arrived, boys who in days gone by had pulled her hair and made her cry. Now they were weeping themselves, and their indignant mother, accompanying the delegation, explained to the unhappy country woman that her child had beaten their boys and had attempted to assassinate them. There was a tiny silver lining in the stage child's cloud, for her cousin got just what she did, and got it good."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, August 4, 1912:

"The Thanhouser Twins are the principals in this clever comedy and their work is entirely natural, full of constant appeal and sufficiently contrasting to differentiate between the characteristics of the two little girls who are cousins. One lives on a farm with her parents and the other is a stage child who tours the country with her father and mother, the former being a magician. She visits the country cousin when they play the nearby town and the little girl of the farm is fascinated with the performance of her cousin of the footlights. At the farm they play together and tell each other of their individual lives. The life of the farm appeals to the stage child and that of the latter appeals to the country girl. So, they decide to change costumes, feeling assured that because of their wonderfully strong resemblance their parents will never know the difference. They do so and begin new lives. The stage child is terribly frightened at first by country boys who try to tease her, but she gets back in a hurry, and her more experienced life makes her more assertive than her cousin. The other is timid and has an attack of stage fright in the first matinee and during her one feature act she fails miserably and runs back to the farm. There she meets the other cousin, and as the parents are both searching for their children, the pair again change clothes and receive the scoldings each deserves, but each being scolded for what each did not do or did not fail to do. It is played with an appreciation of the characters that is wholly pleasing and the support given by the elders is up to all requirements. The stage scene is well put on and the country scenes are prettily taken."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture News, July 27, 1912:

"An amusing and unusual bit, in which the two central figures, both children 'as like as two peas,' change places, the country cousin finding her Waterloo in trying to take her city cousin's place on the stage."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, July 31, 1912:

"A deal of clever wit and character is displayed in the working out of this bright little tale, and the various situations are developed with a keen eye to all the possibilities of humor and life. The players also bring much life and truth to the film, and the two little girls playing the two cousins prove very captivating and capable little players. The vaudeville artists are played by Edmond J. Hayes and Lila Chester. The parents on the farm are Carey L. Hastings and Justus D. Barnes. The sister, who lives on the farm, invites her sister, who is about to do a vaudeville act in the local opera house, to come and take dinner with her on the day of her appearance. The invitation is accepted and their youthful daughter, who does a disappearing act on the stage by means of a trap door, accompanies them. She thus makes the acquaintance of her country cousin, who is found to resemble her very closely. The two become staunch friends, and when they listen to each other's exploits they become envious of each other's lot, and conclude to change clothes and also places. Thus the country cousin is taken back to the theatre to go through the act, but once on the stage and behind the scenes she becomes frightened at the sound of the revolver, which is to cause her to disappear, and, edging away from the stage hands, who open the trap door, cries: 'I want to go home,' and the act is accordingly spoiled. She runs out of the theatre, followed by the aunt and uncle, and soon joins the other cousin taking her place, but who has found country life rather annoying when she finds it necessary to fight spiteful small boys. Again they make a change behind the wall, while the parents scold, but are none the wiser."

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