Monday, August 8, 2011

Old Jane of the Gaiety - 1915



Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 18 July 1915 (USA)
Stars: Ethyle Cooke, Grace DeCarlton and Jay Yorke
A chorus girl in a theatrical show is being pursued by a "Stage Door Johnny" while her somewhat prudish boyfriend tries to "rescue" her from a life in the theater. Old Jane, the show's wardrobe mistress, takes the girl under her wing and gives her advice on how to handle her situation.
Visit thanhouser.org to learn more about Thanhouser silent films.
Old Jane of the Gaiety: One reel of approximately 1,000 feet, July 18, 1915.
Old Jane, the wardrobe woman, is an institution at the Gaiety Theatre. She keeps a watchful eye on the younger girls, especially little Nina Fagnant, a serious child with genuine ability.
Print source: Library of Congress, 15 minutes 49 seconds. Cast: Ethyle Cooke (“Old Jane,” theater wardrobe woman), Grace DeCarlton (Mary, a chorus girl), Jay Yorke (Jack, her sweetheart), Winifred Lane (Daisy), Morgan Niblack (Gilbertson), Janet Henry (Fay), Justice Barnes (choreographer), George Barnes.
Original music composed and performed by Ben Model (silentfilmmusic.com).
By July 1915 the studio was again benefitting from the management of Edwin Thanhouser. A good example is “Old Jane of the Gaiety,” a well-written and well-directed backstage drama with visual panache. The wardrobe lady, Old Jane, counsels the new chorus girl, who is being wooed by a stage-door Johnny while her boyfriend tries to “save” her from theater life. The crisply-paced narrative, complete with flashbacks, has strong pictorial interest emphasizing front/back staging and creative camera placement.

Source: www.thanhouser.org
For futher information on films by Thanhouser, visit the site above. Let’s keep memories of this great studio alive.

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