His Sister-in-Law (1910)
Drama | 15 December 1910
The U.S. Library of Congress catalog gives the following description: “When a suitor (Joe Graybill) begins calling on her attractive older sister (Lottie Pickford), a little girl (Gladys Egan) is jealous and behaves badly. The older sister marries her suitor, and they take the younger sister to live with them, but she becomes a problem. Used to being the center of attention, she resents the new situation, and does all sorts of things to annoy the adults. Finally she decides to return to her aunt’s home and leaves a note for the newlyweds. The last scene in the film, preceded by a title, shows the little girl happily holding a new baby just born to her older sister.”
The 31 Dec 1910 Moving Picture World ran the following review: “Two sisters love each other very much. They vow that nothing will separate them, but the elder one gets married and although the little one is invited to make her home with the young couple she finds herself very much in the way and returns to her aunt. Not much of a story; in fact, there is no story, and that is just where this picture silhouettes itself out from the usual thing and gives us the consoling thought that the era of the picture is not on the wane and the illimitable field of subjects has yet been barely scratched. Yes, there is still hope when a picture maker can take up such a threadbare theme and build upon it a twenty minutes’ panorama of human emotions so deftly portrayed and so enthralling that at the end the blasé audience in the old Union Square Theater breaks ...
The U.S. Library of Congress catalog gives the following description: “When a suitor (Joe Graybill) begins calling on her attractive older sister (Lottie Pickford), a little girl (Gladys Egan) is jealous and behaves badly. The older sister marries her suitor, and they take the younger sister to live with them, but she becomes a problem. Used to being the center of attention, she resents the new situation, and does all sorts of things to annoy the adults. Finally she decides to return to her aunt’s home and leaves a note for the newlyweds. The last scene in the film, preceded by a title, shows the little girl happily holding a new baby just born to her older sister.”
The 31 Dec 1910 Moving Picture World ran the following review: “Two sisters love each other very much. They vow that nothing will separate them, but the elder one gets married and although the little one is invited to make her home with the young couple she finds herself very much in the way and returns to her aunt. Not much of a story; in fact, there is no story, and that is just where this picture silhouettes itself out from the usual thing and gives us the consoling thought that the era of the picture is not on the wane and the illimitable field of subjects has yet been barely scratched. Yes, there is still hope when a picture maker can take up such a threadbare theme and build upon it a twenty minutes’ panorama of human emotions so deftly portrayed and so enthralling that at the end the blasé audience in the old Union Square Theater breaks into loud applause. There is no straining after effect, simply skillful portrayal and natural action. Only in the closing scene is there any strong appeal to the emotions, when the lonesome child discovers the baby in her sister’s arms and is requested to stay with the new playmate. It is a beautiful picture.”
Interiors were shot at Biograph’s studio at 11 East 14th Street in New York City.
An advertisement in the 17 Dec 1910 Film Index describes the story as: “She Finds Herself in the Way, So Leaves.”
“Eva and Blanche are two orphan sisters who live with their aunt. They are inseparable, each apparently living for the other. They vow that come what will they will never separate. However, when Eva, the eldest, is betrothed to Jack, Blanche, who is but ten years old, seriously objects, fearing that Eva’s marriage would surely be the means of their parting one from the other. The wedding takes place and Eva declares that Blanche shall live with her and her husband. It went well until Jack realized that Blanche was dividing Eva’s attentions, and in consequence became very much annoyed, despite his endeavors to feel thoroughly satisfied with conditions. Jack finds a third person not so pleasant, and Blanche’s solicitation of Eva’s attentions occasions several serious quarrels, and she begins to feel that she is in the way. On one occasion, when their tiff is rather more stormy than usual, Blanche is an unseen spectator. The poor little girl now realizes the truth and then decides to go back to her aunt’s house to live, leaving the following note to explain her departure: ‘Darling Sister, I am going back to Auntie’s. I am sorry I was a bother to you and Jack. I love you both very much, that is why I can’t stay. Blanche.’ Upon finding this note the young couple are sorry for the way they have acted towards the child, and Jack persuades Eva to go to her aunt’s and bring his sister-in-law back. Blanche, however, is not to be moved, and Eva returns in grief without her. She has hardly left when Blanche changes her mind and goes back, but she soon realizes that it ...
“Eva and Blanche are two orphan sisters who live with their aunt. They are inseparable, each apparently living for the other. They vow that come what will they will never separate. However, when Eva, the eldest, is betrothed to Jack, Blanche, who is but ten years old, seriously objects, fearing that Eva’s marriage would surely be the means of their parting one from the other. The wedding takes place and Eva declares that Blanche shall live with her and her husband. It went well until Jack realized that Blanche was dividing Eva’s attentions, and in consequence became very much annoyed, despite his endeavors to feel thoroughly satisfied with conditions. Jack finds a third person not so pleasant, and Blanche’s solicitation of Eva’s attentions occasions several serious quarrels, and she begins to feel that she is in the way. On one occasion, when their tiff is rather more stormy than usual, Blanche is an unseen spectator. The poor little girl now realizes the truth and then decides to go back to her aunt’s house to live, leaving the following note to explain her departure: ‘Darling Sister, I am going back to Auntie’s. I am sorry I was a bother to you and Jack. I love you both very much, that is why I can’t stay. Blanche.’ Upon finding this note the young couple are sorry for the way they have acted towards the child, and Jack persuades Eva to go to her aunt’s and bring his sister-in-law back. Blanche, however, is not to be moved, and Eva returns in grief without her. She has hardly left when Blanche changes her mind and goes back, but she soon realizes that it is not to be, for when she enters noiselessly she finds Eva and Jack in each other’s embrace arguing that Blanche’s absence is all for the best. This decides her finally, and making her way back to her aunt’s, she enters to stay for all time. A long time after that she is told by her aunt to get ready to visit Eva. Arriving there, she finds a new playmate, a little baby girl. Her surprise is extreme when shown her little niece, and her delight is inexpressible when she is asked to remain with her sister and brother-in-law as a companion to the baby.”—17 Dec 1910 Moving Picture World
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement AwardTOP SEARCHES
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