Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921) review

A poor American boy named Cedric (Mary Pickford, with the help of some pretty good trick photography) finds out he's to inherit a lot of wealth and a title because he's related to the Earl of Dorincourt (Claude Gillingwater) - Cedric teaches the codger about humanity, the Earl teaches Cedric about being 'proper': what a lovely, balanced union! Since the story is cutesy and fluffy - with Lil' Pickford-as-a-boy being impossibly delightful (made even worse being played by a silent-era 'sweetheart') - there isn't much substance to grab onto: aside from a minor plot snag in which a potential rival pops up (and is hastily dealt with) the sole points of interest are cinematographer Charles Rosher's getting both Pickford-as-male and Pickford-as-Mom on screen at the same time and, of course, the novelty of Pickford playing a child with modest conviction. Mary P. never did quite make it out of the silents with much success, proving you can't rely on being adorable forever.