What Happened To Mary
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''What Happened to Mary'' (sometimes erroneously referred to as ''What Happened to Mary?'') is the first
serial film A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...
made in the United States. Produced by
Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Tho ...
, with
screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...
s by Horace G. Plympton, and directed by
Charles Brabin Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director. Biography Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College (Liverpool), St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New Yor ...
, the
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
s starred Mary Fuller. Twelve one-reel episodes were released monthly beginning July 1912, coinciding with the literary serial of the same name published in McClure's ''The Ladies' World'' magazine. In addition to the
motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...
s and regular magazine installments, ''What Happened to Mary'' was also adapted as a stage play, followed by a
novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent ...
, making it an early example of the multimedia franchise.


Cast

* Mary Fuller as Mary * Marc McDermott as Lieutenant Strakey * Charles Ogle as Richard Craig, Mary's uncle * Herbert Yost as Henry, Craig's son *
Miriam Nesbitt Miriam Nesbitt (September 14, 1873, in Chicago – August 11, 1954, in Hollywood) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Born Miriam Skanke, she studied at the Stanhope-Wheatcroft Dramatic School, before landing a part in Daniel Fro ...
as Madame Jolatsy, a spy *Bliss Milford as Daisy * Bigelow Cooper as Mr. Foster, the Lawyer * William Wadsworth as Billy Peart * Harold M. Shaw as Rev. Cooper *Harry Eytinge as Secretary, Occidental Trust Company *Walter Edwin as Manager of the Society Queen *Yale Benner as John Chase *James Smith as Stage Manager * Carey Lee as Leading Lady *
Arthur Housman Arthur Housman (October 10, 1889 – April 8, 1942) was an American actor in films during both the silent film era and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Career Arthur Housman was one of the first screen comedians known to the public by name, and on ...
as Principal Comedian


Production

This serial came to be after the editor of ''The Ladies' World'', Charles Dwyer, met Horace G. Plympton, manager of
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
's New York motion picture studio on Decatur Avenue and Oliver Place in the Bronx. He was interested in the concept of the story and the plan for an installment published in each issue. A few days after the meeting he suggested making a film version of each installment: the parallel release of magazine and movie episodes supporting each other. The first chapter of the story was printed with a competition, with ''The Ladies' World'' cover advertising "One Hundred Dollars For You IF You Can Tell What Happened to Mary". The closest correct guess at the events of the next twenty minutes of the story, in 300 words or less, would win $100. This prize was awarded to Lucy Proctor of Armstrong, California with the answer that Mary is rescued by a young man in his car. Proctor's solution was printed in the September 1912 issue. Although they would later become synonymous with the medium, and though the heroine did participate in perilous action sequences, no chapter-ending cliffhangers were employed in this production. The sequel '' Who Will Marry Mary?'' (which did pose a question in its title) was released in 1913.


Episodes

The serial consisted of twelve one-reel episodes released from July 26, 1912, to June 27, 1913: # ''The Escape from Bondage'' # ''Alone in New York'' # ''Mary in Stageland'' # ''The Affair at Raynor's'' # ''A Letter to the Princess'' # ''A Clue to Her Parentage'' # ''False to Their Trust'' # ''A Will and a Way'' # ''A Way to the Underworld'' # ''The High Tide of Misfortune'' # ''A Race to New York'' # ''Fortune Smiles'' A stage version written by Owen Davis and featuring Olive Wyndham as Mary premiered at the Lyric Theatre in
Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...
on March 4, 1913, before opening at the Fulton Theatre in New York on March 24, 1913. The 1913 novelization by Bob Brown incorporated material from the play, the films, and the ''Ladies' World'' stories.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:What Happened To Mary 1912 films American silent serial films American black-and-white films 1912 drama films Films directed by Charles Brabin Edison Manufacturing Company films Silent American drama films 1910s English-language films 1910s American films English-language drama films