Little Lillian Turns the Tide (1914)

William Rockwell, a young married man, whose wife and only child are his idols, is doing fairly well, when consumption attacks him, and fighting as he will, he suddenly finds himself face to face with poverty. The doctor advises him that he must needs go to Arizona, or expect sudden death. There is no money for such a trip. Grace, his wife, is in despair, and at this juncture the landlord enters and demands the rent. He secretly admires the wife, and in his dark soul now sees the light of a chance to take advantage of her. He offers to advance the money for the husband's trip. Grace is delighted, and at once signs a note for the amount. Then, having dispatched her husband to Arizona, she starts out "typing" to support herself and her little daughter. Discouraged by the meagerness of the income, she starts to writing photoplays. She sends them out with hope and regularity, but one by one they come hopelessly drifting back. In the interim, Orin, the landlord, has been harassing her with his attentions, and finally demands that she either accept his admiration or vacate his property in lieu of the rent long overdue. About this time, little Lillian loses her pet rabbit, and is greatly distressed, so that she goes to her mother's typewriter, picks out a few words descriptive of her loss, and posts it to the scenario editor of one of the moving picture companies. Observing that the envelope is thin, and the ones dispatched by her mother are bulky, in order to make hers look like something, she picks up odds and ends from the table. Among these is a tintype of herself, and a pathetic letter from the sick husband to his little family. Now, the scenario editor is touched by the combined contents of the envelope and confers with the manager. As a result, Lillian gets a fine position as a child actress, and Grace, her mother, is taken on for minor parts. Money is sent to the father; he rallies and is restored to health and reunited to his family, all brought about through the busy brain of Lillian.

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Summary Details
GenresDrama Short
FilmmakersRole
Edward LeSaint Director
O.H. Nelson Writer
William Nicholas Selig Producer
CastRole
Guy Oliver
Stella Razeto
Baby Lillian Wade
Gordon Sackville