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The 6 November 1916 Moving Picture World mentioned that Fine Arts' Mother of Seven (the working title) was underway: "A number of the exterior scenes are being staged in Sunland, Cal., where co-directors C.A. and S. M. Franklin have built an entire Mexican village and are filming some spectacular battle scenes." According to the 27 November 1915 Motion Picture News the juveniles in the film, "all under six years of age, were given a Hallowe'en party by actress Vera Lewis," which "concluded with an auto ride and an evening at a vaudeville show." Jane Gray wrapped up her work on Mother of Seven before 16 November, in order to leave that day for New York, the 20 November 1916 Moving Picture World noted.
The 18 December 1916 Motion Picture News announced the name change to Let Katie Do It. "Katie" was also the spelling in the copyright title, but all advertisements and reviews spelled it as "Katy." According to the synopsis in the copyright descriptions, the film was based on a novel by "Granville Warwick," which was a pseudonym of D. W. Griffith, but no information has been located to confirm that he did, in fact, write any novels under that name.
Film Fun ran a full page of photographs from the film, featuring the seven children, five of whom regularly appeared in Triangle films billed as the "Triangle Kiddies." (Lloyd Pearl and Beulah Burns were the additions; Beulah was sometimes listed as Thelma.) Trade reviews praised all seven children for their natural acting.
Bertha Burns was sometimes listed as Thelma ...
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The 6 November 1916 Moving Picture World mentioned that Fine Arts' Mother of Seven (the working title) was underway: "A number of the exterior scenes are being staged in Sunland, Cal., where co-directors C.A. and S. M. Franklin have built an entire Mexican village and are filming some spectacular battle scenes." According to the 27 November 1915 Motion Picture News the juveniles in the film, "all under six years of age, were given a Hallowe'en party by actress Vera Lewis," which "concluded with an auto ride and an evening at a vaudeville show." Jane Gray wrapped up her work on Mother of Seven before 16 November, in order to leave that day for New York, the 20 November 1916 Moving Picture World noted.
The 18 December 1916 Motion Picture News announced the name change to Let Katie Do It. "Katie" was also the spelling in the copyright title, but all advertisements and reviews spelled it as "Katy." According to the synopsis in the copyright descriptions, the film was based on a novel by "Granville Warwick," which was a pseudonym of D. W. Griffith, but no information has been located to confirm that he did, in fact, write any novels under that name.
Film Fun ran a full page of photographs from the film, featuring the seven children, five of whom regularly appeared in Triangle films billed as the "Triangle Kiddies." (Lloyd Pearl and Beulah Burns were the additions; Beulah was sometimes listed as Thelma.) Trade reviews praised all seven children for their natural acting.
Bertha Burns was sometimes listed as Thelma Burns.
Let Katy Do It premiered during the week of 5 December 1916 during a special "Tenth Knickerbocker Triangle Program" at the Knickerbocker Triangle Theatre in New York, the 18 December 1916 Motion Picture News reported. It shared the screen with The Corner (see entry) and a Fatty Arbuckle comedy.
According to the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database, this film is extant.
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Motion Picture News
30 Oct 1915
p. 75
Motion Picture News
27 Nov 1915
p. 27
Motion Picture News
18 Dec 1915
p. 73, 93
Motography
25 Dec 1915
p. 1339
Moving Picture World
25 Aug 1915
p. 28
Moving Picture World
6 Nov 1915
p. 1145
Moving Picture World
20 Nov 1915
p. 1480
Moving Picture World
11 Dec 1915
p. 2028
Moving Picture World
1 Jan 1916
p. 142
Moving Picture World
17 Jun 1916
p. 2065
Variety
10 Dec 1915
p. 21
Mus accompaniment composed by
Alternate Titles:
Let Katie Do It
Mother of Seven
Release Date:
9 January 1916
Premiere Information:
premiered 5 December 1915 in New York City
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Triangle Film Corp.
3 January 1916
LP8009
Katy Standish, who has always been the drudge of her Dobbs Center, Maine, family, finds motherhood added to her responsibilities when her older sister Priscilla and brother-in-law Caleb die in a train wreck, leaving seven small children. For help in raising her nieces and nephews, Katy is invited by her Uncle Dan Standish to come stay with him in Mexico, where he is on a mining expedition. When she arrives, she is reacquainted by Dan's partner Oliver Putnam, who had been her childhood sweetheart before her mother thwarted their relationship. Katy and Oliver seemed to be falling in love all over again, but the seven children, whom he dislikes, keep getting between them. On the other hand, Uncle Dan likes the kids and teaches them how to use the weapons he has rigged around the house for protection. When Mexican bandits attack Dan's house while all of the grownups are gone, the children manage to hold them off until help arrives. Meanwhile, Oliver and Katy are also attacked by the same band, but manage to hold them off until help arrives. Now that Oliver has mined plenty of silver, he is ready to marry Katy and take her and the children home to the United ...
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Katy Standish, who has always been the drudge of her Dobbs Center, Maine, family, finds motherhood added to her responsibilities when her older sister Priscilla and brother-in-law Caleb die in a train wreck, leaving seven small children. For help in raising her nieces and nephews, Katy is invited by her Uncle Dan Standish to come stay with him in Mexico, where he is on a mining expedition. When she arrives, she is reacquainted by Dan's partner Oliver Putnam, who had been her childhood sweetheart before her mother thwarted their relationship. Katy and Oliver seemed to be falling in love all over again, but the seven children, whom he dislikes, keep getting between them. On the other hand, Uncle Dan likes the kids and teaches them how to use the weapons he has rigged around the house for protection. When Mexican bandits attack Dan's house while all of the grownups are gone, the children manage to hold them off until help arrives. Meanwhile, Oliver and Katy are also attacked by the same band, but manage to hold them off until help arrives. Now that Oliver has mined plenty of silver, he is ready to marry Katy and take her and the children home to the United States.
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