''The Boy Girl'' is a 1917 American silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Edwin Stevens and starring

Violet Mersereau Violet Mersereau (October 2, 1892 – November 12, 1975) was an American stage and film actress. Over the course of her screen career, Mersereau appeared in over 100 Short film, short and silent film features. Early life Mersereau was born in Ne ...

Sidney Mason Sidney Mason (1886–1923) was an American film actor active during the silent era.Langman p.291 He was the father of the actor Sydney Mason. Selected filmography * '' His Neighbor's Wife'' (1913) * ''The Daughter of MacGregor'' (1916) * ''The H ...

and

Florida Kingsley Florida Kingsley was an actress on stage and screen in the United States. Her career lasted more than 40 years. She is in numerous films from the silent film era. Theater *''The Capitol'' (1895) Selected filmography *''The Turmoil (1916 film) ...

. Merserau portrays a

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

who is controlled by two aunts after her father dies and leaves her an inheritance. The love story finds her escaping and heroically aiding her mate.

Plot summary

Channing her name affectionately shortened to "Jack," is the daughter of King Channing. Jack's mother died when the girl was born. King Channing desired a son when Jack arrived, he accordingly raised his daughter as a boy. At 16, she still continued to be dressed in boy's clothes. One day she met Bob Ridgeway, son of Channing's aristocratic neighbors. Shortly after King Channing died. His will bequeathed his fortune to Jack, to be held in trust, with her two maiden aunts as guardians of the girl, until she shall become of legal age or shall marry. Life with Jack's maiden aunts is almost unbearable. They decide that she be sent to boarding school, and for a time, in her new surroundings (being now properly dressed in girl's clothes), Jack is contented. But the restraint finally palls upon her, and she runs away from school. She finds board and lodging with a woman who has, as another paying guest, a girl who has just left a position in the office of Ridgeway and Son. Jack is advised to apply for the position. This she does and is given employment. The affairs of Ridgeway and Son have been going from bad to worse. They are nearly at the point of disaster, when matters take an unexpected turn. There is a valuable piece of mining property they can secure at a great bargain. Bob goes west, and secures from the owner of the property his promise to sell at a definite figure, but Bob cannot secure an option. The secrets of Ridgeway and Son have been "leaking" through the conduct of the chief clerk, who sells to a rival firm the information he cunningly contrives to secure. That Ridgeway and Son want to buy the copper property becomes known to their business rivals. The Ridgeways are lacking in funds. Jack has a plan, and proposes it to Bob. They shall marry and draw enough of Jack's fortune to pay for the property. The proposal is so daring that it fairly takes Bob's breath, but he has loved the girl from the day he met her in the woods, and she has likewise loved him. Bob and Jack marry, but when it comes to going west with the money to close the deal, the elder Ridgeway is so ill that Bob cannot leave him. So Jack makes the trip, beats the Ridgeways' rivals to the property, and secures the deed. When Jack returns home, the elder Ridgeway is restored to health, largely a result of Jack's cleverness in saving the firm from bankruptcy. The closing scene shows Jack moving in social life.

Cast

as 'Jack' Channing *

as Bob Ridgeway *

as Agatha Channing *

Caroline Harris Caroline E. Harris (November 11, 1867 – April 23, 1937) was an American actress. She appeared in 12 films between 1909 and 1917. Her last film was ''The Gulf Between'', the first film released in the Technicolor process. Harris was the mother ...

as Martha Channing * Maud Cooling as Mrs. J. Ridgeway * Tina Marshall as Catherine Ridgeway *

Charles Mason Charles Mason (April 1728James O'Neill as Albert Corey *

Dean Raymond Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

as John Ridgeway *

Byron Dean George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

as Algernon Week

References

Bibliography

* Langman, Larry. ''American Film Cycles: The Silent Era''. Greenwood Publishing, 1998.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boy Girl, The 1917 films 1917 comedy films 1910s English-language films American silent feature films Silent American comedy films American black-and-white films Universal Pictures films 1910s American films English-language comedy films