Little Orphant Annie (1918 film)
Encyclopedia
Little Orphant Annie was a film adaptation of the famous and beloved James Whitcomb Riley poem of the same title, produced by William Selig and starring Colleen Moore
in her first starring role, just one year after her arrival in Hollywood.
Excerpt from Little Orphant Annie
Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,
An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,
An’ shoo the chickens of the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;
An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the moistest fun
A-list’nin to the witch-tales ‘at Annie tells about,
An, the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
--Little Orphant Annie
, by James Whitcomb Riley
, illustrated by Ethel Franklin Betts
, the Bobs-Merrill Company, 1892, 1898, 1900, 1903, 1907, 1908, William Selig Collection, folder 95. (Printed with Billy Miller’s Circus-show)
, Colleen wrote that she was contracted to work on Little Orphant Annie for Selig, but the first film shot was A Hoosier Romance
. The story is framed with film of the poet himself reading to children. The material had been filmed by Selig Polyscope for an earlier commissioned work. As the film currently exists, only two of the stories she tells (from the original poem) are illustrated. Additional film material has been found, and the film is awaiting restoration. The special effects (super-impositions and lap dissolves) and makeup effects were impressive for their time, allowing the viewer to see the visions as Annie saw them.
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
in her first starring role, just one year after her arrival in Hollywood.
Excerpt from Little Orphant AnnieLittle Orphant Annie"Little Orphant Annie" is an 1885 poem written by James Whitcomb Riley and published by the Bowen-Merrill Company. First titled "The Elf Child", Riley changed the name to "Little Orphant Allie" at its third printing, however a typecasting error during printing renamed the poem to its current form...
Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,
An’ shoo the chickens of the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;
An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the moistest fun
A-list’nin to the witch-tales ‘at Annie tells about,
An, the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
- Ef you
- Don’t
- Watch
- Out!
- Watch
- Don’t
--Little Orphant Annie
Little Orphant Annie
"Little Orphant Annie" is an 1885 poem written by James Whitcomb Riley and published by the Bowen-Merrill Company. First titled "The Elf Child", Riley changed the name to "Little Orphant Allie" at its third printing, however a typecasting error during printing renamed the poem to its current form...
, by James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
, illustrated by Ethel Franklin Betts
Ethel Franklin Betts
Ethel Franklin Betts was an American illustrator primarily of children's books during the golden age of American illustration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
, the Bobs-Merrill Company, 1892, 1898, 1900, 1903, 1907, 1908, William Selig Collection, folder 95. (Printed with Billy Miller’s Circus-show)
Story
Annie, left orphaned after the death of her mother, goes to live in an orphanage where she tells her fellow orphans stories of ghosts and goblins. The matron of the orphanage finds Annie's closest relative, the abusive Uncle Thomp. Her uncle who puts her to hard work doing hard labor on his farm, belittling her all the while. Big Dave, a neighbor and tough cow-poke sees this and comes to her aid. Dave becomes her protector. Eventually Annie goes to live with Squire Goode and his large family. There, she entertains the children of the household with her stories, but sees her abusive aunt and uncle as her chief tormentors. She tells stories of how the goblins will take away the children if they are not good. Each story she tells is illustrated. War breaks out and Dave, who Annie adores, enlists. Uncle Thomp, hearing that Dave has been killed in action, takes pleasure in telling Annie the news. Broken-hearted, Annie falls ill and dies in bed, surrounded by family.Cast
- Colleen MooreColleen MooreColleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
- Annie - Tom SantschiTom SantschiTom Santschi was an American leading man and character actor of the silent film era.-Career:...
- Dave Johnson - Harry LonsdaleHarry LonsdaleHarold K. Lonsdale is an American businessman and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he ran for United States Senate three times, losing twice in the primaries and once as the Democratic candidate, losing in the 1990 general election to incumbent Mark Hatfield.-Early life:Lonsdale...
- Annie's Uncle - Eugenie BessererEugenie BessererEugenie Besserer was an actress born in Watertown, New York of French Canadian parents, who starred in silent films and features of the early sound motion picture era, beginning in 1910.- Orphan in Canada:...
- Mrs. Goode - Doris Baker - Orphan
- Baby Lillian Wade - Orphan (as Lillian Wade)
- Ben AlexanderBen AlexanderBen Alexander was an Emmy-nominated American motion picture actor, who started out as a child actor in 1915.-Life and career:...
- Orphan - Billy Jacobs - Orphan
- George Hupp - Orphan
- James Whitcomb RileyJames Whitcomb RileyJames Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
- Himself (archive footage) - Mae Gaston - Annie's Mother
- Lillian Hayward - Aunt Elizabeth
- Lafe McKee - The Good Squire
- Jean Stone - Little Annie as a Child
Background
The film appears to have been extensively re-written and re-edited. Some outlines have Annie dying in the end and being reunited in heaven ("The Good World") with her mother, where she is wedded to Dave. Another version (available on DVD) has her fall ill, only to recover and learn Thomp's news was only a bad dream. In her autobiography Silent StarSilent Star
Silent Star: Colleen Moore Talks About Her Hollywood was silent film star Colleen Moore's autobiography.-Overview:The book was written after the death of her third husband Homer Hargrave. It was likely written with the help of Moore's friend Adela Rogers St. Johns...
, Colleen wrote that she was contracted to work on Little Orphant Annie for Selig, but the first film shot was A Hoosier Romance
A Hoosier Romance
This 1918 Selig Polyscope film featured silent film actress Colleen Moore. It was one of two films for Selig she made, the other being Little Orphant Annie.-Story:...
. The story is framed with film of the poet himself reading to children. The material had been filmed by Selig Polyscope for an earlier commissioned work. As the film currently exists, only two of the stories she tells (from the original poem) are illustrated. Additional film material has been found, and the film is awaiting restoration. The special effects (super-impositions and lap dissolves) and makeup effects were impressive for their time, allowing the viewer to see the visions as Annie saw them.
Footnotes
- Jeff Codori (2012), Colleen Moore; A Biography of the Silent Film Star, McFarland Publishing,(Print ISBN 978-0-7864-4969-9, EBook ISBN 978-0-7864-8899-5).