Daddy-Long-Legs (1919 film)

Daddy-Long-Legs
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marshall Neilan
Produced by	Mary Pickford
Written by	Jean Webster (story) Agnes Christine Johnston
Starring	Mary Pickford Milla Davenport Mahlon Hamilton
Studio	Mary Pickford Corporation
Distributed by	First National Pictures
Release date(s)	May 11, 1919 (1919-05-11)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent film English intertitles

Daddy-Long-Legs is a 1919 silent comedy-drama film directed by Marshall Neilan, and based on Jean Webster's novel of the same name. The film stars Mary Pickford.

Plot

A police officer finds a baby in a trash can, and Mrs. Lippett, the cruel matron at an orphanage where children are made to work, names her "Jerusha Abbott" (she picks "Abbott" out of a phone book and gets "Jerusha" from a tombstone). The orphan, who comes to be called Judy, does what she can to stand up for the younger children, frequently clashing with both Mrs. Lippett and the cold hearted trustees. At one point she leads a rebellion against being served prunes with every meal and at another, steals a doll from a selfish rich girl to lend to a dying orphan.

Years later, wealthy Jervis Pendleton, a mysterious benefactor, pays to send Judy, now the oldest and most talented child in the orphanage, to college. He insists, however, that Judy must never try to contact him in person. Judy calls him "Daddy-Long-Legs," and writes to him, however. Judy proves popular with her wealthier and more "aristocratic" classmates, and writes a successful book to repay "Daddy-Long-Legs" the money he spent on her. She is generally happy but misses not having any real family members to take pride in her accomplishments. Judy also finds herself caught up in a romantic triangle with the older brother of a classmate and an older man (who is, unknown to her, her mysterious benefactor). She eventually chooses the older suitor and is delighted to learn that he is her "Daddy-Long-Legs."

Cast

• Mary Pickford as Jerusha "Judy" Abbott
• Milla Davenport as Mrs. Lippett
• Miss Percy Haswell as Miss Pritchard
• Fay Lemport as Angelina Gwendolin Rosalind "Angie" Wykoff
• Mahlon Hamilton as Jarvis Pendleton
• Lillian Langdon as Mrs. Pendleton
• Betty Bouton as Julia "Julie" Pendleton
• Audrey Chapman as Sallie "Sally" Mc Bride
• Marshall A. Neilan as Jimmie Mc Bride
• Carrie Clark Ward as Mrs. Semple
• Wesley Barry as Orphan Boy (uncredited)
• True Boardman as Orphan Boy (uncredited)
• Jeanne Carpenter (uncredited)
• Estelle Evans (uncredited)
• Fred Huntley (uncredited)
• Frankie Lee (uncredited)
• Joan Marsh (uncredited)

See also

Other versions of the Jean Webster novel:

• Daddy Long Legs (1931 film), with Janet Gaynor
• Curly Top (film), 1935 film with Shirley Temple based on the novel
• Daddy Long Legs (1938 film), Dutch film
• Daddy Long Legs (1955 film), with Leslie Caron
• My Daddy Long Legs (1990) Japanese anime TV series
• Daddy-Long-Legs (2005 film), Korean film

External links

• Daddy-Long-Legs at the Internet Movie Database