By Stork Delivery
(1916) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by Fred Fishback (Fred Hibbard)
Cast: Mack Swain [the tailor], May Emory [the tailor’s wife], Vin Moore [the tailor’s uncle], Marie Kiernan [the tailor’s daughter], Joe Lee [the tailor’s business partner], Ivy Crosthwaite [the nurse], Bobby Dunn [the janitor], Polly Moran [the janitor’s wife], Wayland Trask [the telegram messenger], Billy Gilbert [the customer], Mary Thurman [the operator], Joey Jacobs [the boy], [?] Luke the dog?
The Keystone Film Company production; distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. / Produced by Mack Sennett. From a screen story by Mack Sennett. / Released 26 March 1916. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Swain’s rich uncle who has promised him a check for $5,000 if he becomes the father of a son. Not long afterward a boy is born and the father is overjoyed at the prospect of the small fortune that is coming to him. Seeing all this fuss made over her baby brother, the daughter of the family becomes jealous and hides him in the doghouse. The newspapers carry a story of a mysterious kidnapper, and when Ms. Emory reads it and discovers that her child is missing, she starts a mad search. At the railroad station Swain sees a veiled woman hand a baby to a stranger, snatches the child, and goes home to place it in a crib before Uncle arrives. The stranger, who proves to be Uncle, reaches the house in hot pursuit, followed by the woman. They look in the crib and see a Black baby, the janitor’s wife’s child. When all seems lost, a note written by the unhappy big sister is found, admitting that she hid her baby brother in the doghouse. As all rush into the yard, the dog chained to the house has started after another dog, dragging the structure behind him. The dogs dash down the railroad track with the pursuers following on handcars, a locomotive, and a train. When the chase ends no baby is to be found. Returning home in despair, Swain finds his offspring in the yard, Uncle writes the check, and the picture ends.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: African-Americans - Blackface
Listing updated: 15 November 2022.
References: Lahue-Kops p. 158 : Website-IMDb.
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