In the Bishop's Carriage (1913) User Reviews

" Grandmother Is Horrified By Scantily Clad Granddaughter Mary "

[PamelaShort · 9 September 2013]

Sadly, this amusing early Mary Pickford film no longer survives. It was based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Michelson. Mary plays Nance Olden, a thief in this story. She is a girl on the run from a charity home, who forms a team with a crook. Their heists are successful until they stage a jewel robbery, and in fleeing the police Nance jumps into a bishop's carriage. This changes her life, as she goes straight and embarks on an amazing stage career. Both the public and critics of the time were not disappointed and reviews for this movie glowed with comments on Mary's " beautifully varied performance," and concluded, " An actress who can suggest feeling with so little apparent effort is indeed a rarity ". Another reviewer declared 'Little Mary' at her best, which in itself would be reason enough to see this picture. Reviews such as these show the adoration and state of excitement many felt for the most popular silent screen actress. Mary Pickford shares a story in her autobiography of her austere grandmother Smith's horrified reaction upon seeing her first film. She writes: I made a motion picture called In The Bishop's Carriage, Grandma thought from the title that it was a religious film. To her horror she discovered that I played the part of a thief. I was told that she almost had a fainting spell when I came out in a short ballet costume. She left the theater hurriedly, and doubtless covered her face in her hasty retreat. Surviving still photos from the film show a very lovely Mary in a skimpy costume for the time. In the interest of silent film cinema, one can only hope a copy of this Edwin S.Porter directed film resurfaces.