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The Crippled Teddy Bear
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 994 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: W.R. Dailey (William Robert Daly), Charles Arling
Independent Moving Pictures Company, Incorporated [IMP] production; distributed by Motion Picture Distributing & Sales Company. / Produced by Carl Laemmle. / Released 19 December 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 17 December 1910, page ?] John King and his wife, Dora, with their little girl, Ida, live plainly but contentedly upon his small salary. Little Ida has few playthings, her father not being able to purchase more, but to her mind they are the finest ever seen, her favorite being a Teddy bear, with one hind leg missing. In order to make the animal as interesting as possible, her father makes a tiny crutch for it, which fills her childish heart with joy. One morning, as King is on his way to the office where he is employed, he sees a man suddenly taken ill and assists him to return to his residence. This man, William Daly, a wealthy old bachelor, is very grateful for the service, but sees no way of returning the favor at the time. In consequence of this delay, King is quite late to his work and his employer, an irascible old skinflint, gives him a terrific scolding and, in spite of King’s explanations, discharges him from his service. King returns home greatly cast down and, not knowing which way to turn, he tries to find other employment but without avail, and they finally find themselves without sufficient food to keep them alive. King then decides to pawn his best suit of clothes and, taking little Ida with him, goes to the pawnshop and gets some money. But the lack of decent clothing makes it still harder for him to obtain employment, and he grows more and more discouraged. His wife, realizing how handicapped King is without his best suit, slips out of the house with her little girl and, going to the pawnshop, exchanges her engagement ring for the clothing and returns with it to King, who is deeply grateful for the sacrifice. Things still go badly with the family, and they are at the end of their resources again. Then little Ida has an inspiration — she will pawn her Teddy bear. So wrapping it up, she steals softly from the house. On her way to the pawn shop, she meets Mr. Daly, the innocent cause of her father’s discharge. Her bright face attracts the gentleman and he stops and speaks to her, and as she leaves him, he watches her, not knowing, of course, whose child she is. Ida enters the pawnshop and tries to pawn her treasure, which, while it amuses the pawnbroker, he does not know what to say to her. Mr. Daly then enters the shop and, comprehending the situation, takes the child away and, inquiring her address, takes her home, where he meets King with much pleasure and is introduced to his wife. As Daly is about to leave, he asks for the Teddy bear, which Ida gladly gives him. He then, having learned their circumstances, offers King money, but King refuses it. Stooping to kiss Ida “good-bye,” Daly forces a bill of a large denomination into her hand and goes away. Daly places the Teddy bear on his desk at his office and thinks often of the child who gave it to him. The day before Christmas. Daly, who is lonely, is blessed with a beautiful thought; he will give the little girl a Christmas tree at his own home and invite her parents. Buying nearly the entire contents of a toy-shop, he has his servants deck out a tree and. when his guests arrive, he gives them a royal welcome. And one of the most precious gifts taken from the tree is a letter for John King, offering him a splendid position as confidential man with Mr. Daly.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 31 December 1910, page ?] There isn’t much drama about it, except the drama of a child doing childish things in an altogether childish way. The heart interest is there and a suspicious moisture lurks around the eyes when the little one trudges away with her bear, her most valuable possession, to secure for her parents the necessaries of life which they cannot provide.
Survival status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive (American Film Institute collection).
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 8 August 2023.
References: Website-AFI.
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