Overview"The Hoodlum" is a quiet comedy-drama movie from 1919 directed by Sidney Franklin in which Mary Pickford handles the lead function. The movie is an adaptation of Julie Mathilde Lippmann's story 'Burkeses Amy'. The story is focused around Amy Burke, a wealthy lady who rebels against her millionaire grandpa Andrew as an act of defiance and picks to experience the life of the shanty towns.
Main PlotAmy Burke, played by Mary Pickford, resides with her wealthy grandpa Andrew (Ralph Lewis). His stringent guidelines and high social standards do not sit well with Amy. Amy's daddy (Dwight Crittenden) who works as a sociologist lives in the slums in order to study the people in their natural surroundings. Amy, feeling suffocated by her elegant life, decides to move and deal with her unbiased and progressive father to experience a less fortunate way of life.
New ExperiencesAmy's remain in the shanty towns offers her a totally brand-new viewpoint on life as she witnesses and experiences first-hand the difficulties people from less fortunate backgrounds face every day. She meets new faces, makes pals, and also falls for John Graham (Kenneth Harlan), a local artist in the run-down neighborhoods. The film provides this part of Amy's life in a light-hearted and entertaining way.
Twists and Transformation While she resides in the run-down neighborhoods, her abundant grandfather plans on making a park on the exact same land. The scenario exacerbates when Amy finds out about her grandpa's strategies and leads a protest versus him. In this struggle, Amy's character transforms from a ruined abundant lady into a spirited young woman creating her own fate.
Climax and ConclusionThe climax of the story is reached when her dad's research study papers, the reason behind his stay in the slums, go missing out on. Suspecting that it may be the work of a collector, Amy decides to break into her grandpa's house. In this comic sequence, she gets in through the chimney and searches for her father's important research whilst triggering a great deal of confusion amongst the house personnel. In the end, she finds that her grandpa had the papers all along.
Feeling guilty and protective, Andrew Burke pertains to his grandson's defense and allows him to publish his research. The movie concludes with Amy's grandfather accepting her choices and John becoming an acclaimed artist.
Total Reception"The Hoodlum", launched a year after Pickford's "Stella Maris", was a box-office success. The humor and charm in her acting along with the satirical social commentary were well-appreciated. It drew attention to 1910s social problems while likewise underlining Pickford's prowess in taking on special and challenging characters.
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