Little Annie Rooney

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.

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!

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.

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.