''Nurse Marjorie'' is a 1920 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

William Desmond Taylor William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner, 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Hollywood motion picture colony of the 1910s and early 1920s, ...

and starring

Mary Miles Minter Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly ic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child" ...

. It is based on a 1906 play, ''Nurse Marjorie'', by

Israel Zangwill Israel Zangwill (21 January 18641 August 1926) was a British author at the forefront of cultural Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and be ...

, with a scenario by

Julia Crawford Ivers Julia Crawford Ivers (October 3, 1869 – May 8, 1930) was an American motion picture pioneer. Biography Born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1869, her family arrived a year later in Los Angeles. Her father was a dentist. Her mother died in 1876, whe ...

. It is one of approximately a dozen of Minter's films know to survive today,The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: ''Nurse Marjorie''
/ref> and one of even fewer readily available for the general public to view.

Plot

As well as being readily available to view, the plot is described in various

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

summaries and reviews. Lady Marjorie Killonan (Minter) is the headstrong Anglo-Irish daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Donegal. She has recently completed charitable work nursing the poor, but now intends to become a professional nurse to the rich. Her mother does not consider this an acceptable role for someone of her status, but her father is more supportive of her ambitions. In addition, her mother hopes to wed Marjorie to Lord Fitztrevor (Leigh), but a clearly disinterested Marjorie tells the lord that he must wait for her answer until she returns from her nursing work. At the hospital, Marjorie's first two patients are Dick (Lee), a young orphan boy with a broken leg, and John Danbury (Fillmore), a Labour MP who has undergone an operation to correct a squint. Dick is smitten with Marjorie at first sight, but due to the homely nurse who attended to him before his operation, Danbury believes Marjorie to be exceedingly unattractive, and will not let her care for him. He quickly realises his error once his dressings are removed, and immediately falls in love with Marjorie, claiming that he is not yet fit to be discharged in a bid to spend more time in her company. He also becomes exceedingly jealous of the attention that Marjorie gives to his fellow patient, until he realises that this patient is a young boy and not a rival. Before his is discharged Danbury proposes to Marjorie, but although she clearly returns his affections, she decides to test him first. She poses as the poor daughter of her old nurse Biddy O'Mulligan (Titus), who now runs a fish emporium. Even the sight of Marjorie frying fish in shabby clothes does not dissuade Danbury, although his parents attempt to buy off Marjorie, but when she tells him the truth about her parentage and status, her dishonesty causes him to end the engagement. Shortly after this, Danbury is shot at a political rally and returns to hospital. When Marjorie reads of this, she rushes to his side to nurse him, rejecting Lord Fitztrevor in the process, and Danbury forgives her for her previous deception. This time it is Marjorie's mother who objects to her daughter's union with a Labour politician, but with a little persuasion from her father all doubts are overcome, and Marjorie and Danbury are free to wed. The April 24th, 1920 edition of

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...

lists a musical cue sheet for the film.

Cast

as Marjorie Killonan *

Clyde Fillmore Clyde Fillmore (October 25, 1874''Who Was Who on Screen''Silent Film Necrology'' p.170 2nd Edition by Eugene M. Vazzana c.2001 – December 19, 1946), born Clyde Fogle, was an American actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for a 1 ...

as John Danbury *

George Periolat George Periolat (February 5, 1874 – February 20, 1940) was an American actor. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, George Periolat began his career as a Broadway actor. Making his film debut with the Essanay Studios in Chicago, he moved to H ...

as Andrew Danbury *

Mollie McConnell Mollie McConnell (September 24, 1865 – December 9, 1920) was an American silent film actress. McConnell was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Mills Seminary in Oakland, California. She studied further at "Miss Grant's college" in Chica ...

as Mrs. Danbury *

Frank Leigh Frank Leigh (18 April 1876 – 9 May 1948) was a British stage and film actor.Goble p. 232 Biography Born in London in 1876, Leigh settled in Hollywood and became a leading man during the silent era. Following the introduction of sound, his ro ...

as Lord Douglas Fitztrevor *

Vera Lewis Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films between 1915 and 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis. Biography She was b ...

as Duchess of Donegal *

Arthur Hoyt Arthur Hoyt (March 19, 1874 – January 4, 1953) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34-year film career, about a third of them silent films. Career Born in Georgetown, Colorado, in 1874, Hoyt ma ...

as Anthony, Duke of Donegal *

Frankie Lee Frankie Lee (December 31, 1911 – July 29, 1970), was an American child actor. He appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1925. Best remembered in the 1919 film '' The Miracle Man'', he was the little boy on crutches healed by the phony fait ...

as Dick Allen *

Lydia Yeamans Titus Lydia Yeamans Titus (12 December 1857 – 30 December 1929) was an Australian-born American singer, dancer, comedienne, and actress who had a lengthy career in vaudeville and cinema. She was remembered on stage for her ''Baby-Talk'' act and a ...

as Biddy O'Mulligan * Al Flosso as Punch Worker (uncredited) * Joseph Hazelton as English relative (uncredited) * Joe Murphy as Cook (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nurse Marjorie 1920 films American silent feature films Films directed by William Desmond Taylor American films based on plays 1920 drama films Silent American drama films American black-and-white films 1920s American films