Volume II: Filmography

DIVORCE

March 21, 1911 (Tuesday)

Length: 1,000 feet totally (split with Waiting at the Church at the end)

Character: Drama

Cast: Frank H. Crane (father)

ADVERTISEMENT, The Moving Picture World, March 18, 1911:

"A well plotted picture and a well directed blow at the divorce evil. You will be gratified and surprised when you see how the home was saved. A doll did it! This might not sound reasonable, but it all looks logical on the screen and, indeed, the incident is taken from real life."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture News, March 11, 1911:

"Mr. and Mrs. Gray are a young married couple who have everything to live for. But they have unconsciously drifted into the bad habit of quarreling. Their children are greatly distressed by it. Mr. and Mrs. Gray decide to separate. Before he leaves for the last time, he steals upstairs to take a look at the children. There he finds his wife, a horrified witness of a scene that is being enacted by the children. They are playing 'divorce,' and go through the various quarrels and misunderstandings which they have seen their parents enact. They divide their various belongings to their mutual satisfaction until they come to the dollies. The little girl refuses to be separated from her dollies, and rather than wound her, the little boy decides that divorce is a horrid game, because it makes her cry. The parents now realize the sorrow that separation would mean to their children as well as themselves, and become reunited, with the determination that no quarrel will ever recur to mar their happiness in the future."

REVIEW, The Billboard, March 25, 1911:

"This very pretty little play of domestic unhappiness is only another of the many about parents whose reconciliation has been affected by the presence of some dear little child. Mr. and Mrs. Gray are a young married couple who have everything to live for, but have unconsciously drifted into the bad habit of quarreling. Matters finally come to a crisis, and they decide to separate. An agreement is reached, satisfactory to both parties, Mr. Gray returns to the home he has left in anger, in order to take away his personal belongings. Before he leaves home for the last time he steals upstairs to take a look at the children. There he finds his wife a horrified witness to the scene that the children are enacting. The little children are playing 'divorce,' and quarreling and going through the same unpleasant scenes that have wrecked this otherwise happy household. The trouble that the little ones have in dividing their dollies is too much for the parents, who are watching their play, they decide to kiss and make up, with the determination that no quarrel will happen in the future to mar their happiness. It is as well-plotted picture and well-directed blow at the divorce evil."

REVIEW, The Morning Telegraph, March 24, 1911:

"One could not tell a more dramatic story in a more dramatic manner. A husband and wife quarrel over the extravagance of the latter. Both are unreasonable. Finally the break comes. The home is to be sold. The two children have observed the actions of their parents with childlike wonderment. Then they retire to their nursery and think it good sport to imitate their elders; so they play 'divorce,' the parents coming in at the point wherein they quarrel over who shall have the two dolls. Husband and wife gaze heartbrokenly at the toddlers, then at each other - and the breach is closed! It was splendidly staged and splendidly acted. The work of the children particularly deserve praise. Pray, produce more like this!"

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, April 1, 1911:

"A serious attempt to illustrate upon the screen the divorce evil, and at the same time present in graphic form the influence the doll exerted in reuniting the warring couple. The play is well staged and acceptably acted and its purpose makes it of more use than such plays ordinarily are."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, March 29, 1911: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

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