Le chapeau de New York

For a number of reasons The New York Hat is among the most familiar titles of all the short films D.W. Griffith made for Biograph during his apprenticeship. It marks Griffith's last collaboration with Mary Pickford before her departure for the Famous Players Company, and it presents a youthful Lionel Barrymore in a prominent role as the pastor who takes a benevolent interest in Mary. Sharp-eyed viewers might also catch a glimpse of Lillian Gish in a brief bit outside the church. History and casting aside, the movie itself holds up quite well as entertainment.

From the very first scene Mary has our sympathy. The death of her mother has left her in the care of a sour, miserly father who is not attentive to her needs, and when she receives a fancy hat as a gift it clearly means a great deal to her. As the story unfolds we become increasingly involved in her situation, indignant at her mean-spirited father, and irritated with the town gossips who assume the worst about the pastor's intentions towards Mary. The age of the film is forgotten when Mary's father rips her beloved hat apart and throws it to the ground. We feel for her, we want to see justice done, and we want to see that old miser brought low. In this regard, the ending is especially satisfying.

It's interesting to find that this early work features thematic elements that would recur in films by both director and star. Several of Mary Pickford's strongest vehicles present her as a lower class girl who is painfully aware of her status, and longs for acceptance by her 'betters' -- who, as often as not, are snobs unworthy of her admiration. Griffith, meanwhile, went on to demonstrate a special contempt for busybodies in his later work, such as the "reformer ladies" in the modern story of Intolerance.

Still, while the gossips of The New York Hat richly earn our scorn, the sympathetic pastor's actions look naive at best. Shouldn't he have expected people to wonder about the nature of his relationship with this young girl? The girl's exact age is not stated and is hard to determine (Mary Pickford was 20 years old when the film was made, but she could have passed for 16 or even younger), but in any case you'd think he would have been a little more circumspect. One question left unexplored at the end is the whether the gossips are correct in their assumption that the pastor is interested in Mary in a, shall we say, more than fatherly way. Let the viewer decide!

This short melodrama has a somewhat offbeat story that works pretty well thanks to its efficient characterizations and its observations on human nature. And not the least of its merits is the chance to see Mary Pickford in one of her earlier roles, as the young woman at the center of the story, who longs for "The New York Hat". The story begins with Mary's dying mother leaving an unusual request with her pastor, and then goes on to show how the situation affects everyone involved. At first it doesn't seem like much to work with, but it is done efficiently, and Pickford is charming and sympathetic as always.

Whenever I watch films from the silent era I do sometimes struggle to focus on the film itself rather than be lost in the fact that I am seeing something that was filmed over 100 years ago and that everyone who made it is long dead – and indeed everyone who watched it on its release is almost certainly gone the same way by now too. It is always a sobering thought and I think seeing people on the screen makes it seem more amazing than, for example, seeing a painting created hundreds of years ago. Anyway, the downside of such thoughts are that if the film isn't particularly gripping then such things tend to take over my mind and it was this case with this simple film.

The plot sees a mother of a young girl pass away. She has a small amount of money to leave her daughter but does not trust her husband and so leaves it to a minister to make sure it is kept safe for her Mollie. Mollie is a simple girl but when she sees a beautiful hat in the local store all the way from New York, she really wants it despite not having the money. The minister sees this and decides to get it for her using a small amount of her mother's trust. It is a simple act but when the town gossips see a minister buying a hat for a young girl, well, tongues soon get to wagging.

It is a very simple tale which takes longer to build to the crux than it does to resolve and as such it is not really the most engaging. The thing that holds the attention though is that the cast do a very good job of delivering the material silently (obviously). I was expecting the occasional title card to show their words here and there, but the only titles are setting the scene rather than specifics. Pickford and Barrymore are both expressive and (mostly) do not overact too much to compensate for the silence, but actually do well with character with just their faces – particularly Pickford. The supporting cast are fine although I did enjoy the stern faced old biddies enjoying their scandal.

The New York Hat is now more a historical curio rather than a great film to be enjoyed on its own terms. The director and the main cast are the main headlines and, outside of this, the story really isn't enough to hold a modern viewer.

Excellent early film, expertly featuring "legendary" director D.W. Griffith and "legendary' actress Mary Pickford before they became "legendary". When Ms. Pickford's mother dies, she is despondent. Her mother (Kate Bruce) didn't have much, but managed to leave Pickford enough money to buy some "finery"; the money is bequeathed to the local Pastor (Lionel Barrymore).

When Pickford admires "The New York Hat" in a downtown shop window, Minister Barrymore decides to buy it for her -- which ignites gossipers; they link Mary and the Minister in a "romantic" scandal.

Watch Pickford act before, with, and after "The New York Hat". Her performance is great; she plays her part as a young woman, not a little girl, simply and effectively. Her emotions are extraordinarily well-conveyed, for G.W. Bitzer's camera, under Griffith's direction.

A charmer.

********* The New York Hat (12/5/12) D.W. Griffith ~ Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, Charles Hill Mailes, Kate Bruce

"The New York Hat" is a short, adorable movie that stars the legends of early film (Mary Pickford and her brother Jack, Lionel Barrymore, the Gish Sisters). The plot is fun and inventive for 1912. A great bit of storytelling that doesn't grow old.