Volume II: Filmography

THE RANCHMAN AND THE HUNGRY BIRD

a.k.a. THE STORY OF THE RANCHMAN AND THE HUNGRY BIRD

July 19, 1912 (Friday)

Length: 1 reel

Character: Drama

Cast: Marie Eline (the little boy who took the birds' bread)

Location: Some scenes were filmed in Central Park, New York City

Note: One of the Honor Squad was originally scheduled to be released on this date, but the date was changed to August 4, 1912.

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, July 20, 1912:

"He was just a ragged little urchin. Skulking through Central Park one day, he noticed a big man busily engaged in feeding bread to birds who flocked about him. On the bench beside him the big man had a big piece of bread and the boy decided that he needed it more than the birds did. He was afraid to ask for charity, having received many rebuffs in his young life, so he just looked up, quietly clutched the bread, and began to eat it ravenously. The big man turned and saw him. The boy started to run, but was captured before he could get away, and stood trembling, fearing that some horrible punishment was about to be inflicted upon him. Much to his surprise, the big man showed sympathy and insisted on hearing his pitiful story, and then took him off to his hotel, where the boy had the first bath and the first real meal that had come his way in a long time. The big man was a kindly ranch owner from the West, who was simply in New York for a few days on business. Filled with pity for the child he decided to give him a home, and the youngster gladly went with him to the far West. The ranch owner had many friends, but like all good men he had some enemies. One was a half-breed servant who had been detected selling liquor to Indians and who had been promptly kicked off the place. He determined to be revenged, and the disappointed Indian agreed to help him in his plot. They selected a night when all the cowboys had gone to a dance some distance away, and the ranch owner and his little protegé were alone on the place. They attacked the house confident they could overcome the opposition before help could arrive. They failed on account of the child, however. While the rancher was keeping them off with his gun, the boy made a daring escape from the house, leaped on his pony, and rode off through the night. He reached the dance hall in safety, summoned assistants, and the galloping cowboys got back in time to capture the Indians and the half-breed before any serious damage was done. Then all the glory of the capture went to the small and formerly dirty boy who had been picked up among the other birds in the far Eastern city."

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