The Piece of String (1911) User Reviews

One cannot help feeling that the Imp people lost a big opportunity in this picture

[deickemeyer · 20 February 2016]

There is much truth in this story, but it is overdrawn. A youth of the village is accused of stealing a pocketbook which the owner's dog carried off. Of course there's no proof, but everyone in the village believes he did take it. What he really picked up was the piece of string which is cleverly utilized to keep the story coherent. One feels that it was a mistake to have the man's own mother believe he took the pocketbook; it argues badly for the man's past reputation and, while it seems to give a more tragic situation, lessens our interest in the man and therefore in the story. Such an incident would probably have divided village opinion strongly, and a nice church scrap would perhaps have followed the minister's sermon on the matter. If the picture could have had a parting scene and a reconciliation scene, even more worthwhile. One cannot help feeling that the Imp people lost a big opportunity in this picture. - The Moving Picture World, July 1, 1911