User reviews

Annie Rooney lives with her officer father and brother Tim in the slums of New York, where she is constantly getting involved in many fights with the other neighborhood kids. Annie secretly has a crush on Joe Kelly (whose little brother Mickey is head of the gang that Annie constantly battles), who is in a gang that is headed for trouble, says Officer Rooney. Kelly sponsors a dance, where Tony plans to shoot Kelly in order to get even with him for making him look like a fool in front of his girl, but Officer Kelly gets fatally wounded instead. Tim (part of Kelly's gang) is told by Tony, and friend Spider, that Kelly shot his father, so he goes after him in vengeance. Annie learns of this and goes to stop her brother, if she is in time. Very good mix of humor and heart in this film, even though the plot doesn't start until the 40 minute mark of the film. Pickford is enjoyable (even though she was 33 playing a girl no more than 12-13) and really gets into her character. Haines doesn't play Kelly as tough as he should, but is able make the audience feel for him on an emotional level. The scenes where the officer tells Annie of her father's death and the ending really put a lump in your throat. The mix of all sorts of kids throughout the film are fun to watch. Rating, 8.

LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY (United Artists, 1925), directed by William Beaudine, stars Mary Pickford in one of her famous signature roles, that of a pre-teen girl in the POLLYANNA tradition. Though now a grown woman in her thirties, being of short stature, she was able to be convincing playing a character much younger in her years, down to her blonde curls and pony tails. Playing an Irish girl, naturally she is tough but charming, even characterized as a "wildcat" by one of the neighborhood kids. Yet this is what the public liked, and very much preferred, and for this, Pickford gave them what they wanted playing not Miss, but Little Annie Rooney.



Taken from a story by Catherine Hennessey, the opening title reads, "Uptown a gang calls itself "society," - downtown a gang calls itself a gang - and let it go at that. LET'S GO DOWNTOWN. Following a scenic view of the New York City tenements of multi-ethnic residents ranging from Negroes, Jews, young and old, but most of all, the Irish, including a young tomboy named Little Annie Rooney (Mary Pickford). Following a gang fight started by little Mickey Kelly (Joe Butterworth), leader of the "Kid Kellys," sworn to make life miserable for Annie by singing the title song she hates. Annie has a father (Walter James), a widower who not only copes with his daughter and older son, Tim (Gordon Griffith), but his beat being the officer of the law by profession. Also in the area of the slums is Mickey's older brother, Joe (William Haines), leader of the "Big Kelly Gang." Aside from being a loafer "whose hardest work is selling tickets to a dance or benefit," he also hangs out with a gang of crooks, including Tony (Carlo Schipa) and Spider (Hugh Fay). Even though Annie takes an interest in Joe, Officer Rooney warns this young man to change his ways. On the night of Rooney's birthday, where his children prepare a celebration for him, a fight breaks out at the Pansy Club Dance where Rooney gets shot and killed in the dark. One of the gang members puts the blame on Joe, leading Annie to prevent her brother from avenging her father's murder. Others in the cast include: Spec O'Donnell (Abey Levy); Viola Vale (Mamie); and Eugene Jackson (Humidor).

A fine mix of humor and sentiment in the Pickford tradition that no doubt made LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY a box office success in 1925. Mary, director Beaudine, and co-star, O'Donnell would reunite the following year in SPARROWS (1926), hailed by many to be Pickford's best or most memorable performance. Director Beaudine keeps the pace going here, even through the first hour of plot development, character introduction and daily activities take precedence before changing to the basics are provided. Showing children together of all ethnic background makes one think of the Hal Roach "Our Gang" comedy shorts featuring children as the center of attention. Other than street fights where Annie isn't afraid to fight with the boys, there's also a scene where the kids stage a neighborhood play for a benefit.

By the time of Mary Pickford's death in 1979, several of her silent movie works were distributed as part of the rediscovery of her movies that haven't been shown in decades, especially LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY and SPARROWS, presented either in revival movie houses or public television as LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY did on New York City's WNET, Channel 13, June 1, 1979 . Part of the Paul Killian collection, LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY had been shown on television to excellent William Perry piano scoring, even including that old tune to "Little Annie Rooney." This was the print used for home video by Blackhawk Films in the 1990s as well as Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere, September 19, 1999), before restoration and re-scoring took place around 2014 and television broadcasts thereafter.

Regardless of visual restoration to this fine movie with additional footage, the new orchestral scoring, found on DVD and TCM, is unsatisfactory, giving it a different feel, taking away from the film's initial enjoyment from its 1970s "The Silent Years" television series appeal. Not to be confused with MISS ANNIE ROONEY (United Artists, 1942), starring Shirley Temple as a remake or sequel, the original LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY comedy-drama ranks one of many Pickford titles that deserves modern-day recognition. (***)

While there is not much to "Little Annie Rooney" aside from the way that it showcases Mary Pickford's many talents, that's not a bad focus for a movie to have. The story does seem to be planned almost entirely with that goal in mind, as most of the other characters are not developed very much, and most of the plot likewise comes back to the ways that events affect Annie. Of course, Pickford is more than up to carrying the load, and while this picture has to rank a little lower than a good number of her other movies that have more depth to them, it's still worthwhile.

Through the course of the story, Annie finds herself in numerous kinds of situations, and several sides of her character come out. She has a tomboyish, boisterous side, yet she can plead with her father on behalf of a misunderstood friend. The scene where she prepares her father's birthday party could very easily have become unbearably cloying or melodramatic, yet she handles it very well, making use of the best possibilities available rather than resorting to cheap sentiment. (In that particular scene, a couple of creative camera shots also help it to work.)

There are very few actresses, especially in the present, who could make so many different things work believably and without undue emoting. While much of the movie is simple and sometimes even a bit contrived, It's still worth seeing as one of many chances to see such a fine actress at work.

Although the concept of a 32 year old woman portraying a 12 year old girl might be a stretch for today's

sophisticated audiences,in the 1920's this was what the fans of Mary Pickford desired and expected from their favorite star. The opening scene displays Annie's tomboyish character as the apparent leader of a multi-ethnic street gang in comic "battle" with a rival group. The sight of a young girl being socked in the jaw and kicked may be a bit crude, but the scene is played in such an "Our Gang" fashion that it would be hard to take any of this seriously. Anyway, Annie can dish it out as well as take it. Once Annie returns to her tenement home and replaces her street duds with more girlish attire, it becomes more difficult (especially in close-ups) to imagine this beautiful young woman as a street urchin. However, for those who can muster the required suspension of disbelief, the rest of the movie has it's rewards. Vacillating between comedy (Annie's gang puts on a show) to sentiment (Annie plans a birthday surprise for her Irish policeman father) to tragedy (her father is killed on his birthday), the film gives Mary ample opportunity to display a range of emotions that would please her fans of any era.

Of course the requisite "happy ending" is eventually achieved; the evildoers are apprehended with the help of Annie's friends and rivals and she is last seen in the company of her pals riding down a busy thoroughfare on a sunny day. Which is a good a way as any for a Mary Pickford movie to end.

Even at 5'1" and 33 years old, Mary Pickford pulls off the part of the 12 year old daughter of a policeman pretty well, and this is a silent film worth seeing. She looks a little out of place in the madcap early scenes where rival gangs are brawling and hurling a flurry of bricks at one another (think a slightly harder edged version of Little Rascals), but she's also pretty cute all wound up and throwing haymakers. The film includes Asian, Jewish, African-American, Greek, and Irish characters, and while there is a cringe-inducing scene where the black boy dances "the shimmy" in a grass skirt, stereotypes are reasonably contained. Nevertheless, these scenes with the gang were my least favorite, and they are a bit on the long side.

Where the film picks up is with little Annie Rooney's home life. Walter James is great as her even-keeled father, and the scenes of sibling rivalry with her older brother (Gordon Griffith) are cute. The other actors seem to tower over the petite Pickford, and I have to believe they made some of the furniture larger than normal to help her pull of the role. Director William Beaudine also takes advantage of the beautiful sets that were built, and captures some nice city shots. I don't want to spoil the plot, accept to say it takes an unexpected dramatic turn, and that made it interesting for me.

Pickford was a powerful force in Hollywood in 1925, and it's fascinating to me that she produced, wrote, and then took the part at her public's request. Four years later she was still pulling off a role of much younger woman in Coquette, a film I liked a little more, and so it's surprising that just four years after that, in 1933, she would play her final part as an actress. She had a rough time of it in life thereafter, battling alcoholism and depression. It seems this film captures her at the height of her powers, when she was on top of the world, and that adds to its charm for me.

Although it might seem a bit bizarre to see a 32-year-old woman play the part of a 12-year-old, Mary Pickford soon makes you forget the incongruities and simply enjoy the fun.

Mary is a street kid in New York City, with her own lovable gang of mischief makers, whose attentions are engaged by the older William Haines (he was 25 at the time & just on the cusp of his own screen stardom.)

To give away too much of the plot would not be fair. Suffice it that Mary is great fun to watch & amply displays why she was Hollywood's first and most beloved super star. Production values are very good, with lots of extras making the NYC street scenes quite believable.

...written by and starring Mary Pickford, with direction by William Beaudine. Pickford plays the title role, a young girl who runs with a gang of innocently delinquent kids in the Bowery area. Her older brother Tim (Gordon Griffith) runs with the older boys who are little more than gangsters. Annie's beloved pa (Walter James) is a beat cop who is liked and respected by the multi-ethnic immigrant community. When tragedy strikes, and Little Annie is devastated, things look like they may take an even darker turn in response. Also featuring William Haines.

Pickford was 33 when she filmed this, still playing a juvenile. Her short stature, combined with larger sets and tall co-stars, help sell her casting. Pickford is very charming, as are many of the kids in her gang. Schipa was also good as the hot-tempered Tony. I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between the disparate racial and immigrant population, among them Irish, Greek, Italian, Jewish, Chinese and black. Showing this kind of unity is especially touching in today's increased tribalism, nationalism, and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Honestly, if you're thinking of seeing your first ever silent film, this probably shouldn't be the one you see. Things like a 33-year-old actress playing a child are a little bizarre even if you think you're used to the style of the era. But as a showcase for Mary Pickford, it's a great film. The story and pacing is a little uneven, but her acting is excellent. The Flicker Alley DVD is a beautiful restoration and the score on the DVD is fascinating - not old-fashioned like a "typical" silent film score but not so modern like some other scores (usually for movies like Nosferatu or Metropolis) that are so good at making things seem terrifying or futuristic - I think it's a good fit for the movie, which is not horror or science fiction but has a little bit of just about every other genre you could imagine. Basically, you're in for quite a ride when you watch this movie. So glad this was available on DVD!

Mary Pickford plays Annie Rooney--the daughter of a cop that lives in the tough part of town. She is a rough and tumble young lady of indeterminate age (somewhere between 12 and 16) who loves to scrap but down deep has a heart of gold.

This is a very typical style of film for Mary Pickford. Like so many of her films, she plays a young girl--even though she was nearly 40 when she made LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY. And, like so many other stories, she was both plucky and courageous. As a result, I had a strong feeling of déjà vu. Now if you haven't seen her other films, this isn't an issue. However, she is essentially playing a character much like the one in SPARROWS or DADDY LONG LEGS--though these two other films are a lot better. Now this isn't to say this is a bad film--just that it's certainly not among her best work--mostly due to a rather "schmaltzy" story that is very heavy on sentiment but not especially convincing. Entertaining but not essential viewing unless you are a huge fan of the silents.

New York City slum lass Mary Pickford (as Annabelle "Little Annie" Rooney) has a 12-year-old's girlish crush on William Haines (as Joe Kelly), who becomes the suspect in a too-close-for-comfort murder. "Little Annie Rooney" is a well-produced film; however, Pickford's "little girl" characterization does not fit the slummy story. The film begins with Pickford in a protruded fight with fellow street children, throwing bottles, bricks, and fists at each other. Apparently, this is meant to show Pickford as a "tomboy" character; but, frankly, she appears insultingly retarded.

Pickford's pouting performance is more cloying than convincing, through most of the film. A well-intentionally diverse cast provides some cringe worthy moments; for example, Pickford spoon-feeding Spec O'Donnell's "Abie Levy" character some ham. Gordon Griffith (as Tim Rooney) is another notable co-star; his mother Katherine was the fine supporting actress seen in Pickford's "Pollyanna". Director William Beaudine re-teamed with his star for the superior "Sparrows" (1926).

***** Little Annie Rooney (10/18/25) William Beaudine ~ Mary Pickford, William Haines, Gordon Griffith

Annie Rooney (Mary Pickford) is the daughter of a police officer (Walter James) in downtown New York, an area inhabited by immigrants from all over the world who generally get along with each other very well, but where there is also quite a bit of crime. Annie's age is indeterminate: She is not too old to fight with the other kids on the block, but old enough to have a crush on the older brother of her arch rival, the leader of the Kid Kelly gang. Pickford portrayed this late childhood-early adolescent age in many of her films, from 'The Poor Little Rich Girl' (1917) over 'The Hoodlum' (1919) to 'Sparrows' (1926), and audiences loved her for it. In fact she was so successful in this kind of role that some parts of 'Little Annie Rooney' could have been lifted from 'The Hoodlum', which has a very similar setting. Still, I liked each of the other films I mentioned above better than 'Litte Annie'. The reason is the way director William Beaudine approached his material. The film starts off with an inordinately long and repetitive fight between two gangs of children who seem to throw bricks and whatnot at each other's heads (without injuries). Once this fight is over, the story gets going, but by this time you feel as if you had already watched half of the film. Similar lengthy passages abound (for example, Annie trying to mount a horse). 'Little Annie Rooney' simply is not particularly suspenseful. On the other hand, I liked how the film showed diverse groups of immigrants living together: Greeks, Irish, Blacks, Jews, Chinese - all that is presented without the slightest hint of racism. Given that a couple of years before the US had for the first time limited immigration, I guess this must be considered a statement. But that's not enough to make 'Little Annie' a good film. It is ok and watchable, but far from outstanding.

Why do I hate this? Let me list the ways:

I have nothing against Mary Pickford but a 32 year old woman playing a 12 year old is just stupid.

There's a fight scene in which kids are throwing bricks at each other and it's considered funny---and it goes on for 15 minutes

Strange how none of the kids are even remotely hurt

The title cards contain plenty of racial and ethnic slurs

For a "family" film the fights were WAY too violent (loved it when Pickford was punching it out with a little boy!) and the humor was just stupid

Seriously, 40 minutes in I gave up and turned it off. The slurs, racism and little kids throwing bricks at each other got to me. Also there was no plot that I could see. The only thing worth seeing in this film was William Haines who was a top leading man in the silent era.

Just painful. Avoid.

Rambunctious Little Annie Rooney (Mary Pickford) lives in a poor tenement and leads her gang of fellow pre-teens in fighting against another group of kids. Her father is a respected incorruptible neighborhood policeman. Her brother Tim is hanging around the wrong crowd.

Thirty three year old Pickford returns to playing a child as she had done earlier in her career. It may seem unnatural for this work but there is a modern equivalent TV show right now. Pen15 has two young women around thirty playing 13 year olds around other actual 13 year olds. The comedy works because the surreal element allows more comedy to be injected. Once that happens, it can slip in some real heartfelt drama. That's what's happening here in this movie. It's great that the movie starts with that tenement fight between the two groups of kids. It's fun and the hilarity opens up the heart. Pickford was once a great Hollywood star and this shows why.

Not only did I enjoy this movie. The music is extremely good! Sadly, I feel the music for silent movies has no place in our history. It should be celebrated!

Actress Mary Pickford couldn't decide the subject matter for her next movie. Her previous two, both adult-themed films, 1923's "Rosita" and 1924's 'Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,' weren't exactly barnburners in the theaters. Interviewed in Photoplay Magazine, she asked the public what type of role her fans would like to see her play in her next film. Hands down the majority of the 20,000 letters she received said to play a little girl (again). The 33-year-old Pickford then set her sights on yet another adolescent character, but she dismissed such popular literary suggestions as Anne of Green Gables, Heidi and Alice in Wonderland.

Her friend Mabel Normand suggested her next movie should contain an Irish title, and wrap a story around the Irish character. Selecting a late-1890's music hall song, 'Little Annie Rooney,' Pickford set her story in an inner-city, gang-ridden neighborhood while her character would be a daughter of a city policeman (naturally). Screenwriters expanded her barebones tale, showing a tough urban precinct at the nexus of a mixing pot of first-generation immigrants. What emerged was one of Pickford's most financially-successful movies she had ever produced, October 1925's "Little Annie Rooney." The motion picture became the eighth top-grossing film of the year and retained the Pickford empire as one of Hollywood's most lucrative in the industry.

Constructing a look-alike New York City crowded, run-down neighborhood on her United Artist studio grounds, Pickford assumed the character of a tomboy who's involved in gangland brick-throwing brawls, where nobody miraculously gets injured.

Movie fans embraced her role once again as a spunky girl who doesn't take gruff from both the tough boys as well as the condescending adults. One standout actor is Gordon Griffith, who plays her much older brother Tim Rooney. The 11-year-old actor who appeared in cinema's first Tarzan movie in 1918 had grown up to be an 18-year-old adult who's bent on revenge for the person responsible for the killing of his police officer dad. In addition, William Haines, whose star-power was rising after his appearance in 1924's "Wine of Youth," receives a hefty part as a good-guy leader of a group called the Kelly's gang.

Despite limiting her movie productions to a mere one a year, Pickford's popularity continued to sustain itself throughout the mid-1920's. She showed no signs of letting up in her film productions since her popularity was still at an all-time high.

LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY is one of the best known and most frequently seen of Mary Pickford's movies. This is because for years the title has been in the public domain and there are numerous poor quality editions that have been issued over the years. Now thanks to The Mary Pickford Foundation and Flicker Alley, we finally have a high quality version that looks remarkable with its crisp images, subtle tints, and proper speed. It even comes with a newly commissioned score by Andy Gladbach which, while not always appropriate, is miles ahead of any other musical accompaniment which up until now has consisted of public domain classical music that has nothing to do with what's going on in the film.

Pickford made LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY in 1925 when she was 33 years old. Her previous 2 films, ROSITA (1923) and DOROTHY VERNON OF HADDON HALL (1924) in which she had played adult roles, did not perform well at the box office. When she polled her audience as to what they wanted her to do next, they all wanted her to return to "little girl" roles like POLLYANNA and THE POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL. She gave them what they wanted. Annie Rooney is a young teenager growing up in a NYC tenement populated by a variety of what would today be considered ethnic stereotypes. She enjoys scrapping with the street kids but still manages to take care of her older brother and widower father who is an Irish policeman. When tragedy strikes she must summon up the courage and the smarts to save the man she loves who is falsely accused of murder.

Her fans kept their promise and LAR was a huge hit but it also meant that Pickford would never play another fully adult role in the silent era. Although she won an Oscar in 1929 for playing one in COQUETTE, she made only two more sound films before retiring in 1933 at the age of 41. She never appeared on screen again and turned down two iconic roles, Glinda the Good Witch in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) which is clearly patterned after her, and Norma Desmond in SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950). She died in 1979 at the age of 87.

While LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY is not Pickford at her best, it shows her remarkable ability to capture the essence of youthful characters even when she was over 30. She was at the height of her powers as a producer at this time and LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY reflects this in the remarkable set design and the quality lighting and camerawork. The director, William Beaudine, had a long career in B movies and wound up directing episodes of TV's LASSIE in the 1950s. If you want to get a copy of LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY, make sure it is this one. Flicker Alley never disappoints. You not only get this best looking and sounding copy available, it comes as a Blu-Ray/DVD combination along with an informative 25 page booklet...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.