Little Mischief

"Poem to screen in one Thanhouser reel"

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About this film

Helen Badgley stars as the title character in a one-reel Thanhouser comedy adapted from a poem. Little Mischief's playful tricks disrupt the household routines of the adults around her in a gentle domestic farce.

More about this film

About the production

Release date1914-01-01
ProductionThanhouser Company

Themes

childhood mischiefdomestic comedy

Themes & topics

Helen BadgleyThanhouserpoem adaptationone-reel

Historical background

Thanhouser released Little Mischief through Mutual on 6 September 1914, during the company's prolific year of short comedies starring child performers.

Why this film matters

The film typifies Thanhouser's literary adaptations and its use of Helen Badgley as a recurring juvenile personality.

Making of

Thanhouser shot the picture at its New Rochelle facilities in the fast schedule typical of weekly short releases.

What critics said

Trade listings treated it as standard Mutual program filler; Thanhouser historians cite it in filmographies of the studio's 1914 output.

Did you know?

  • Produced by Edwin Thanhouser; director uncredited in surviving records.
  • Adapted from a poem titled Little Mischief.
  • Released as a single-reel short measuring roughly 310 meters.

What audiences thought

Audience documentation for Little Mischief is limited; availability today depends on archive and streaming copies.

Film restoration

Prints are held by specialty silent-film archives and the Thanhouser Company Film Preservation collection.