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  • The Tale of a Cat (1911)
  • Short | Drama, Short
The Tale of a Cat (1911)
Short | Drama, Short
Mrs. Moore takes in washing to support herself and her blind little child Helen. Among her patrons is Mr. Thornton, a wealthy widower. His little motherless boy, Robert, alone and lonely all day in the big, empty house, with its luxury and...See moreMrs. Moore takes in washing to support herself and her blind little child Helen. Among her patrons is Mr. Thornton, a wealthy widower. His little motherless boy, Robert, alone and lonely all day in the big, empty house, with its luxury and dreariness, its wealth and woe, yearns for a comrade. So Mr. Thornton gives him a kitten to be a companion to him. Housekeepers are not the most tender and sentimental brand of humanity, and Thornton's housekeeper, determined to be rid of the feline nuisance, gives it to Mrs. Moore when she calls for her wash. The heart of the blind little girl is made happy by the soft, furry, little pussy. So, as all through life, one's joy is another's grief. Then Fate, or a feline whim, or the wander-lust, or kittenish kittishness, impels the cat to return to the scenes of her childhood. She meanders back to her former master, and the little girl is desolate over the loss of her loved possession. She sets out to find the treacherous treasure, and after an ardent and arduous search, discovers her in the proud and protecting possession of Master Thornton. She demands the cat, and what at first looks like a belligerent episode transforms into a peace congress. The boy looks at the tender little face, shy and sweet and somber with the shadow of suffering. He looks into her unseeing eyes, and something that one day the world would call manhood, comes to the fore. That which more than any other one thing has banished brutality and bestiality from the earth and made men civilized, the little thing called sympathy, surges through the three feet of his being, an eloquent response to the silent sorrow of the other. They become friends. Mrs. Moore, anxious about the girl's absence, sets out to seek her, and finds the three playmates together. She asks the girl to come home, but the boy, who now wants to keep his new playmate, even more than before he wanted to keep the cat, protests. He appeals to his father to detain the girl, and the latter solves the problem by engaging Mrs. Moore as housekeeper. Mr. Thornton procures surgical assistance for the girl. The operation is successful, and the little blind girl can at last see the blessings of friendship. The years fly by, you know, and perhaps someday the boy and girl will tell another little boy and girl to love dumb animals. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
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Edit Released
Updated Nov 2, 1911
Release date
Nov 2, 1911 (United States)

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2 cast members
Name Known for
Lois Weber
Mrs. Moore Mrs. Moore   See fewer
Suspense (1913)
Helen Anderson
Helen Moore Helen Moore   See fewer
Chasing a Rainbow (1911)
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