Littlemissoptimist-lobbycardA-notbw-1917

''Little Miss Optimist'' is a 1917 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Robert Thornby Robert Thornby (March 27, 1888 – March 6, 1953) was an American director and actor of the silent era. He directed 75 films between 1913 and 1927. He also appeared in 48 films between 1911 and 1930. He was born in New York, New York, and d ...

and written by Gardner Hunting. The film stars

Vivian Martin Vivian Martin (July 22, 1893 – March 16, 1987) was an American stage and silent film actress. Biography Martin was born in Sparta, Michigan and began her career as a child actress on the stage with comedian Lew Fields. Her early theatrical ...

, Tom Moore, Charles West,

Ernest Joy Ernest C. Joy (January 20, 1878 – February 12, 1924) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 76 films between 1911 and 1920. Selected filmography * '' Article 47, L (1913) * '' Salomy Jane'' (1914) * '' ...

, Charles K. Gerrard, and

Helen Bray Helen Bray (November 25, 1889 – October 15, 1990) was a Missouri-born American actress who appeared in several silent films during the early 20th century. Bray is the great-grandmother of actress Michelle Pierce, who appears now in the T ...

. The film was released on August 26, 1917, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine, when the foster mother of Mazie-Rosie Carden (Martin) marries, she is forced to find another home. She is sent to Hope Mission where she is given a place to stay. A millionaire named West (Joy) is murdered in his home, and Mazie's brother Ben (West) is accused of the crime. Fear of the police drives Mazie to flee to a church where she hides for several days. On Sunday, she is forced to hide in the pulpit and from here she is able to identify the killer through a much damaged coin West had on his person at the time of his murder. With the real murderer brought to justice and her brother free, Mazie is happy. She discovers that she is loved by a young man whom she befriended when he first came to the town, and like a fairy tale they live happily ever after.

Cast

as Mazie-Rosie Carden * Tom Moore as Deal Hendrie * Charles West as Ben Carden *

as John West * Charles K. Gerrard as Samuel Winter *

as Belle Laurie

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Little Miss Optimist'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors cut two views of a stamp (the board always cut close-ups of envelopes), and scenes of the murder striking man on his head with a bronze, man striking Carden with the bronze, and two theft scenes.

References

External links

* 1917 films 1910s English-language films Silent American drama films 1917 drama films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Robert Thornby American black-and-white films American silent feature films 1910s American films {{1910s-drama-film-stub