Told at Twilight (1917) User Reviews

The best of the Little Mary Sunshine series

[deickemeyer · 21 July 2015]

There are bits of the unconscious humor of childhood in "Told at Twilight," the five-reel "Little Mary Sunshine" photoplay, produced by Balboa, that will delight the admirers of that remarkable youngster, Baby Marie Osborne. The attempt to weave a dramatic interest into the plot has not been accomplished very successfully. But that is of small moment! The situation where the father of the little heroine comes to rob the man who has befriended him and is confronted by his own child is not particularly novel and is less convincing. Fortunately, this serious element has very little bearing on the merits of the picture. In "Told at Twilight" little Mary's adventures with a forbidden playmate, a little colored boy named Piggy, are the sources of most of the fun; although, her reliable friend, the wealthy, but lonely old gentleman next door, again has a hand in the doings. From a comedy point of view, "Told at Twilight" is the best of the Little Mary Sunshine series. It is hardly necessary to add that the young star possesses all of her old charm and maintains her position as the leading child actress of the screen. The ratio of her personality in relation to her size is but one of her amazing gifts. Henry King continues to direct little Miss Osborne's pictures and to act as her principal support. - The Moving Picture World, March 24, 1917

Lost Little Mary Sunshine Film

[PamelaShort · 30 July 2014]

Daniel Graham ( Daniel Gilfether ) a cantankerous old man, lives next door to Little Mary Sunshine, ( Baby Marie Osborne ) a sweet-natured little girl. One day the darling child is playing with her friend Piggy beside the neighbour's fence, and the giggling children draw the crusty old man's attention. Annoyed by the commotion, he crosses to the other side of the fence and meets Litte Mary Sunshine. A routine begins with the little girl visiting the old man daily. Soon the adorable child melts the old man's heart and he becomes transformed by her warmth and goodwill. The old man throws a birthday party for the charming child, and when a storm brews that evening, Little Mary Sunshine is invited to spend the night. Meanwhile, the little girls father ( Henry King ) has run into dire financial difficulty because he has been using the company funds to play the stock market. This evening he decides to break into Graham's home and rob it, but when the old man and Little Mary Sunshine surprise him, the innocent child assumes her father has come to take her home. But the wise old man understands the situation , but his love for the little girl prevents him from pressing charges against her father and he decides to help him out and set him back on the right track.

This was one of Baby Marie Osborne's popular Little Mary Sunshine series, that were quite successful at the time. Many featured Henry King, who would go on to become a very notable film director. What a shame this five reel film is lost and so is the opportunity to watch the first popular child star of the silent screen.