An Affair of Hearts (1910)
Comedy | 19 May 1910
The U.S. Library of Congress catalog gives the following description: “The film is built around a contest between two eccentric Frenchmen for the hand of an eligible American girl, who, at the end of the film, finally discourages both of them by introducing her betrothed. Mack Sennett and Billy Quirk, playing the Frenchmen, provide the comedy relief. Their antics include attempting to get into an automobile, ride a bicycle, duel with shotguns, and eventually matching to see who will kill the other. Mary Pickford, the love interest, and Jeanie Macpherson, her maid, play straight for the comics as well as dramatic roles.”
The 4 Jun 1910 Moving Picture World ran the following review: “A pretty comedy representing two impulsive Frenchmen madly in love with a lady whose name they do not know. Several humorous situations are developed from chance meetings, finally leading up to a duel. At this they both show some confusion, ending, however, when the lady invites them into her home, where they both declare, with vehement protestations, their undying love and insist that she choose between them. But when her somewhat bulky and athletic husband appears they both have pressing engagements elsewhere and hurriedly depart.”
An article in the 29 Jan 1910 Moving Picture World, titled “Biograph Company Migrates to the Land of Sunshine and Flowers,” noted that the Biograph Company, with Lawrence Griffith (one of D. W. Griffith’s pseudonyms) as director-in-chief, had arrived in Los Angeles, CA, on 19 Jan 1910, joining two other migrating film operations, the Selig Company and the New York Motion Picture Company (Bison).
An advertisement in the 21 May 1910 Moving Picture World billed ...
The U.S. Library of Congress catalog gives the following description: “The film is built around a contest between two eccentric Frenchmen for the hand of an eligible American girl, who, at the end of the film, finally discourages both of them by introducing her betrothed. Mack Sennett and Billy Quirk, playing the Frenchmen, provide the comedy relief. Their antics include attempting to get into an automobile, ride a bicycle, duel with shotguns, and eventually matching to see who will kill the other. Mary Pickford, the love interest, and Jeanie Macpherson, her maid, play straight for the comics as well as dramatic roles.”
The 4 Jun 1910 Moving Picture World ran the following review: “A pretty comedy representing two impulsive Frenchmen madly in love with a lady whose name they do not know. Several humorous situations are developed from chance meetings, finally leading up to a duel. At this they both show some confusion, ending, however, when the lady invites them into her home, where they both declare, with vehement protestations, their undying love and insist that she choose between them. But when her somewhat bulky and athletic husband appears they both have pressing engagements elsewhere and hurriedly depart.”
An article in the 29 Jan 1910 Moving Picture World, titled “Biograph Company Migrates to the Land of Sunshine and Flowers,” noted that the Biograph Company, with Lawrence Griffith (one of D. W. Griffith’s pseudonyms) as director-in-chief, had arrived in Los Angeles, CA, on 19 Jan 1910, joining two other migrating film operations, the Selig Company and the New York Motion Picture Company (Bison).
An advertisement in the 21 May 1910 Moving Picture World billed this film as “Cupid in a Sportive Mood.”
“In this comedy we are introduced to the impulsive hearted Frenchman. For him to see a pretty woman is to love her, heedless of the disaster his attendant persistence may incur, as it is that when Mons. Borni espies the fair unknown he is anxious to become her abject slave. She, however, resents his impudence and in his dejection he writes to his dear friend, Mons. Renay, the following: ‘My dear Renay, I love, I worship a lady I do not know. From no one can I find out who she is. I have just seen her. I must know her and make her my wife. What shall I do? My dear friend, I crave your help, Gaston Borni.’ Mons. Renay flies to his dear friend’s assistance and the first sight they get of the fair lady is as she speeds through the park in her auto. She is alone, and they engage a small runabout to follow her. Borni, of course, paying for it. As there is but one front seat, Renay takes this, while the lovestruck Borni is forced to occupy the footman’s chair, but what cares he, so long as it will take him into the presence of his charmer? They follow her auto until it arrives at the lady’s home, which she enters hurriedly. A policeman is standing by, and they, that is, Borni, pay him to divulge the name of the fair goddess, but after pocketing the liberal bribe he tells them he is very sorry to say he doesn’t know her. But they reason faint heart ne’er won fair lady, so they persist, and the next time they encounter her riding horseback. Here ...
“In this comedy we are introduced to the impulsive hearted Frenchman. For him to see a pretty woman is to love her, heedless of the disaster his attendant persistence may incur, as it is that when Mons. Borni espies the fair unknown he is anxious to become her abject slave. She, however, resents his impudence and in his dejection he writes to his dear friend, Mons. Renay, the following: ‘My dear Renay, I love, I worship a lady I do not know. From no one can I find out who she is. I have just seen her. I must know her and make her my wife. What shall I do? My dear friend, I crave your help, Gaston Borni.’ Mons. Renay flies to his dear friend’s assistance and the first sight they get of the fair lady is as she speeds through the park in her auto. She is alone, and they engage a small runabout to follow her. Borni, of course, paying for it. As there is but one front seat, Renay takes this, while the lovestruck Borni is forced to occupy the footman’s chair, but what cares he, so long as it will take him into the presence of his charmer? They follow her auto until it arrives at the lady’s home, which she enters hurriedly. A policeman is standing by, and they, that is, Borni, pay him to divulge the name of the fair goddess, but after pocketing the liberal bribe he tells them he is very sorry to say he doesn’t know her. But they reason faint heart ne’er won fair lady, so they persist, and the next time they encounter her riding horseback. Here Mons. Renay woos her on his own account, his pervious heart having also been touched. Her horse enables her to distance them, but a bicycle rider appears and they procure the wheel. Borni again paying the fee, but Renay decamps on it. This endeavor also proves a failure, and meeting a hunter in the woods they, Borni, of course, purchase his guns (he carries two). This procedure is not as acceptable as they imagine, for they realize it takes a certain amount of nerve to stand up as a target, even though you yourself may have a human target at your disposal. Well, while they parley, the lady views with amusement their antics from her veranda, and she decides it is now time to put a stop to their imbecility, so dispatching her maid to the field of honor, the valorous lovers are invited to appear at the house. They both declare their undying love for the fair unknown; they would fight for her; they would lay down their lives for her—but when her sturdy robust husband appears, they find they have pressing engagements elsewhere.”—21 May 1910 Moving Picture World
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