Volume II: Filmography

THE MILLIONAIRE MILKMAN

December 16, 1910 (Friday)

Length: 1,000 feet

Character: Drama

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, December 10, 1910:

"The Millionaire Milkman was one of those supreme clever beings who, surrounded by vast wealth and fawning friends, can realize that the latter aren't always loyal when the wealth fades away. It's hard to admit to yourself that your warm admirer and prosperity may ignore you in adversity. But life is life and friendship is friendship - it comes and goes. A pretty girl's friendship came to the bright, rich hero of this splendid story. It went from him when he lost his fortune. Or, rather, when he appeared to lose his fortune. For the fortune-losing was part of a very neat ruse, and the picture gives its purpose."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, December 17, 1910:

"Clara Moore is a society girl who has won the affections of Jack Cass, a young millionaire. He thinks she loves him, but it is really his money that she adores. Prompted by a letter of warning, Jack decides to prove his sweetheart's love. One reason is that he privately disapproves of the way Clara and her mother have treated a poor relation, an orphan girl, who has been left in their care. Instead of giving her a home, they make a servant of her. Jack's plot works like a charm. His faithful valet gives the newspapers the story of the failure of Jack's mind, and that young man's ruin. Clara reads it and when Jack calls and admits that the reports are correct, she returns his ring and says that all is over between them. In fact the only person in the house that shows any sympathy for Jack is the poor relation, May Dustin, and naturally he compares her with the heartless society girl.

"Jack wants to see more of May, and invents a unique way of doing so. He buys out the milkman who serves the family, and in that way is able to call on May everyday. Liking soon ripens into love, and May agrees to wed Jack, although thinking he has nothing in the world but a meager salary. After marriage she is told the truth and finds that her husband has money enough to supply her every wish. As for Clara, she has lost her only chance to win a prized millionaire."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, December 31, 1910:

"Comparatively few are troubled with wealth sufficient to make a woman want them. Perhaps if such occurrences were common this picture would have less interest; but as it is there is considerable novelty about it. The millionaire suspected the girl and upon test found his suspicions were correct. She only wanted his money. Then he congratulated himself that he found out the true state of affairs before it was too late and proceeded to finish up the drama in a way more to his liking. The life and action which characterize the Thanhouser productions are all present, while the photography is satisfactory and helps to make a good picture."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, December 21, 1910:

"The Laura Jean Libbey style of romance is here presented with more than the usual success. Spectators know, of course, that it is all unreal and artificial, but the acting is so cleverly done and the rich aunt and her daughter are so delightfully stuck up and snobbish that there is great applause when the milkman shows them he is still a millionaire and that they made a very bad mistake when they showed him the door, thinking he was ruined. To make the blow more telling, he had chosen for his wife the poor and despised niece of the rich woman, whom the latter had made work in her kitchen. The purchase of the milk delivery job was not convincing and the milkman talked too much at the camera; otherwise the picture is not seriously defective in detail."

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