Little Boy Blue (1912 film) explained

Little Boy Blue is a 1912 silent one-reel film produced by Lubin Manufacturing Company and distributed by the General Film Company. The movie was released on May 6, 1912. The movie featured child actor Raymond Hackett assuming the role of Harold (Little Boy Blue) and Marie Wierman playing Elizabeth, Harold's older sister.

Plot

A group of small boys make up the Star baseball team. They are having a practice game in a vacant lot. The boy, Harold, is at the plate when he hits the baseball through the window of a small cottage. Harold goes to the house to apologize for the broken window. Once inside the home, he realizes the residents are a couple in their senior years, Mr. and Mrs. Stone. Harold says he is sorry for breaking their window, and the couple returns his baseball.

The landlord walks into the house while Harold is talking to the Stones. He is insisting on receiving the money for his rent. The Stones are short on funds to pay their landlord.Since they cannot cover the rent, the landlord insists they vacate by the month's end. Harold returns to the boys and tells them of the old couple's situation. The boys are struggling to determine how to help the old couple. They decide to seek advice from Harold's older sister, Elizabeth.

They find Elizabeth entertaining the Girls' Friendly Society of the Grace Church. Following their discussion, they decide that the girls' society and the boys' baseball team will give a Mother Goose Bazaar in the church vestry. They will donate the proceeds to the old couple to help them pay their rent. The participants are in Mother Goose costumes. Harold is wearing the Little Boy Blue costume. His display area has a small haystack, and Harold sells popcorn. Two Italian organ grinders arrive at the bazaar, and the children dance around them. After the organ grinders leave, Harold is exhausted. Finally, he crawls under his booth's haystack and falls asleep.

The event was a great success. The bazaar winds down, customers leave, and the youngsters count their earnings. As they prepare to go home, an anxious Elizabeth realizes Harold is missing. She turns to her boyfriend, Paul, seeking his advice. Paul suggests that the organ grinders abducted him. They rush outside and then tell a police officer about the missing boy and the musicians. A quick search finds the organ grinders performing at a different street intersection. After a short talk, the street musicians convince the police officer they do not know where Harold is.

They return to the Stone's cottage. They ask Mrs. Stone, a seasoned mother, for her guidance. Mrs. Stone feels Harold is still in the church and offers to assist them in their search. They return to the church vestry, seeking Harold. Mrs. Stone discovers Little Boy Blue "under the haystack, fast asleep".^[1]

Cast

Actor	Role
	Harold (Little Boy Blue)
Mrs. George W. Walters	Mrs. Stone
James Humphrey	Mr. Stone
Marie Wierman	Elizabeth (Harold's Sister)
Martin J. Faust	Paul (Elizabeth's Sweetheart)
Richard Morris	The Organ Grinder
Roswell "Buster" Johnson	Child (uncredited)

Production

Casting

• Martin (Marty) Faust (1886–1943) was born on January 16, 1886 in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was an American film actor and director. He was active in the film industry between 1910 and 1944. Faust was years-old when he played Paul (Elizabeth's Sweetheart).
• Raymond Hackett (1902–1958) was an American stage and screen actor from a theatrical family in New York. Hackett was born on July 15, 1902, in New York City, the son of Maurice Hackett and silent screen actress Florence Hackett. He became a child actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1907. The family moved to Philadelphia. After the move, Ray left the stage and started performing as a childhood actor in Lubin movies. In those days, he was called Master Raymond Hackett and often appeared with his younger brother, Albert Hackett was nine years old when he played Harold (Little Boy Blue.) Later in life, he reminisced about an event that caused a delay in filming this movie. He remained active in film until 1931, when his career faded.
• Buster Johnson (1908–1969) was born Roswell J. Johnson on July 12, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He was another American child actor cast in this children's film. Buster was years-old when he acted in the uncredited role of a background child.
• Richard Morris (1862–1924) was born William Richard Stuart Morris on January 30, 1862 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He was an American Opera singer, stage actor, and silent movie character player. This was his first appearance in a credited movie role. He appeared in 59 films between 1912 and 1924. Morris was years-old when he played one of the Italian organ grinders.
• Mrs. George W. Walters (1835–1916) was an English actress born Mary Stanton in . She was a contract player for Lubin and considered " ...the grande dame of the Lubin company."^[2] Walters was years-old when she played Mrs. Stone.^[3]
• Marie Wierman (1893–1956) was born Marie Elizabeth Wierman on November 6, 1893 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[4] Wierman started her career at Lubin at the urging of Lubin director Barry O'Neil, a friend of the family.^[5] She married Napoleon B. Kukuck (Stage name of Lee Phelps) on December 21, 1916.^[6] After her marriage, she acquired the stage name of Mary Warren.^[7] Wierman was years-old when she played Elizabeth, Harold's older sister. This film was one of her earliest efforts. She was an American actress active in the movie industry between 1912 – 1934.

Story

This film is based on the English nursery rhyme Little Boy Blue.^[8]

Director

The director of this production is unknown. In 1912, the Lubin Company had eight production units, each with a assigned producer-director.
These are possible candidates for the director of this picture:

• Joseph W. Smiley (1870 - 1945) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 18, 1870. Quoting from book, "The King of the Movies" the author states: Another article in The Moving Picture News dated July 13, 1912 stated: ^[9]
• Arthur V. Johnson (1876-1916) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on February 2, 1876. Quoting from book, "The King of the Movies" the author states: "
• Barry O'Neil (1865-1918) was born Thomas J. McCarthy on September 24, 1865 in New York City.^[10] He came to Lubin in 1912 and immediately became an important director known for his realism in films. An article in The Moving Picture News dated July 13, 1912 stated: "Number 1 Lubin Stock Company under the management of General Director Barry O'Neil including All four of these actors appeared in the film.

Scenario

Around this time in the history of film, a dual writing process was used in silent films. The scenario writer develops the storyline. The title writer creates Intertitles (title cards), which show spoken words that appear on-screen; explain actions relevant to the story; indicate the time and place settings of the story; and provide context.

The scenario writer for this film is unknown. According to an article in the July 1913 issue of The Billboard, Lubin had a dedicated scenario department. A scenarist from this pool of writers was probably selected to create the script.

Studio

The Lubin Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture production company founded by Siegmund Lubin. In 1896, Lubin started distributing films for Thomas Edison, and in 1897, he started the production of films for commercial release. The Lubin Manufacturing Company was created in 1902 and incorporated in 1909 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1910, Siegmund Lubin constructed a state-of-the-art studio on the corner of Indiana Avenue and Twentieth Street in Philadelphia. This studio was recognized as Lubinville. It stood as one of the world's innovative studios, featuring stages with manufactured lighting, editing rooms, laboratories, and workshops. After producing over a thousand motion pictures, the Lubin Film Company was forced into bankruptcy. On September 1, 1916, the Lubin Manufacturing Company closed its doors for good.^[11]

Release and reception

Official release

The official film release date to U.S. theaters was May 6, 1912.^[12] The film was released in the United Kingdom on July 4, 1912.^[13]

Copyright

The Preface of the publication — Copyright Office * The Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, printed in 1951 reads:

Since this move was released in May 1912, there is no entry in this publication for a copyright. A further explanation is offered here.

Reviews

The critiques featured in assorted trade publications proved invaluable when deciding to watch or book a newly released movie. However, a fan or theater owner's decision can be challenging even after reading multiple movie reviews, especially when critics have contrasting reviews. In the end, it depends on personal perspectives and the importance assigned to the movie review and the reviewer.

• A review of Lubin's "LITTLE BOY BLUE" reviewed the May 6, 1912 issue of the" Moving Picture World:^[14]

• A brief review of the film was published on May 23, 1912 edition of The Wilmington Dispatch:^[15]

Other boy blues

1912 proved to be a competitive year for projects named "Little Boy Blue."

• The Pat Powers (1869-1948) production of "Little Boy Blue" was released on January 16, 1912.^[16] The film was based on the famous "Little Boy Blue" poem penned by Eugene Field in 1888.
• Henry Savage (1859 – 1927) was an American Musical impresario and Boston real estate mogul.^[17] The light opera "Little Boy Blue" was among his many successful productions. The operetta was presented in two acts and set in Paris and Scotland. The musical had a run of 184 performances from November 27, 1911 through April 1913.

Preservation status

Many silent-era films did not survive for reasons as explained on this Wikipedia page.Since no records detail this film's status, it is presumed all copies of this film are lost.

Bibliography

• Book: Motion Picture News . Motion Picture News Incorporated . v. 6 . 1912 . . February 29, 2024.
• Book: Eckhardt, J.P. . The King of the Movies: Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin . Fairleigh Dickinson University Press . 1997 . 978-0-8386-3728-9 . March 2, 2024.
• Book: Vazzana, Eugene Michael. Silent Film Necrology. October 12, 2001. McFarland. 9780786410590. Google Books.
• Book: Lauritzen. E.. Lundquist. G.. American Film-index 1908-1915: Motion Pictures, July 1908-December 1915. Film-Index. 1976. 978-91-7410-001-3. March 7, 2024.
• Book: Boon, K.A. . Script Culture and the American Screenplay . Wayne State University Press . Contemporary Approaches to Film and Media Series . 2008 . 978-0-8143-3571-0 . March 21, 2024.

External links

• • • • • Free Library of Philadelphia
• Betzwood Film Archive Digital History from the Libraries of Montgomery County Community College

Notes and References

1. Licensed Film Stories - Lubin - Little Boy Blue (May 6). Moving Picture World. New York, Chalmers Publishing Company. May 4, 1912. 443. https://archive.org. July 13, 2011. live. February 29, 2024.
2. Greenroom Jottings - Little Whisperings From Everywhere in Playerdom. 139. Motion Picture Story Magazine . August 1912. The Motion Picture Publishing Co.. https://archive.org. August 15, 2012. live. February 27, 2024.
3. Mary Stanton Walters Dead. Moving Picture World. New York : The World Photographic Publishing Company. March 18, 1916. 1833. https://archive.org. September 3, 2014. live. February 27, 2024.
4. Web site: California, U.S., Death Index. California Department of Public Health – Vital Records. 2000 . subscription. March 11, 2024.
5. Stifling the Tears. Photoplay Magazine . September 1918. MacFadden Publishing Inc.. https://archive.org. June 23, 2021. live. March 9, 2024.
6. Web site: New York State Marriage Index. New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA. 2017. subscription. March 11, 2024.
7. The Why and Wherefore of Mary Warren – by Grace Lamb. 31–32, 107. Motion Picture Magazine. August 1918. The Motion Picture Publishing Co. https://archive.org. August 15, 2012. live. March 11, 2024.
8. Web site: November 27, 2018. A Short Analysis of the 'Little Boy Blue' Nursery Rhyme. March 3, 2024. Interesting Literature.
9. Book: Motion Picture News . Motion Picture News Incorporated . v. 6 . 1912 . March 1, 2024 . 21.
10. Web site: O'NEIL, Barry - Director (1909-1911). 1995. www.thanhouser.org . Q. David Bowers . February 29, 2024. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History - Volume III: Biographies.
11. Web site: Lubin's Life. Mar 31, 2023 . Digital history from the libraries of Mongomery county community college. February 26, 2024. Timeline of Lubin's Life & Work.
12. Lubin Films. Moving Picture World. New York, Chalmers Publishing Company. May 4, 1912. 440. https://archive.org. July 13, 2011. live. March 6, 2024. Calendar of Licensed Releases.
13. Film releases - this week, next week, and the week after. (June 23rd to July 14th.). 37. The Bioscope. June 27, 1912. The Bioscope - London. live. https://archive.org. June 15, 2022. March 10, 2024. Little Boy Blue; UK release; July 4, 1912.
14. Comments on the Films - Licensed. Moving Picture World. New York : The World Photographic Publishing. May 6, 1912. 629. https://archive.org. July 28, 2014. live. February 25, 2024.
15. News: Theater section. The Wilmington Dispatch. Wilmington, North Carolina. May 23, 1912. 2. Newspapers.com. subscription. March 1, 2024.
16. Comments on the Films. Moving Picture World. New York, Chalmers Publishing Company. April 1914. 304. https://archive.org. July 13, 2011. live. March 4, 2024.
17. News: Henry W. Savage, Producer, is dead. The New York Times. New York, New York. November 30, 1927. 25. timesmachine.nytimes.com/. subscription. March 5, 2024.