"Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" appears to be one of only three films starring Marguerite Clark in circulation today. The other two are "Snow White" (1916) and "Little Miss Hoover" (1918). This one is probably my favorite of Clark's among the three. The fairytale "Snow White" is a more interesting narrative, but suffers somewhat from the more primitive film-making of just three years earlier. "Little Miss Hoover" is more interesting historically, but otherwise just isn't a very good film. Additionally, "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" is available in good condition, despite probably being from a 16mm reduction print, and includes color tinting and toning and original art titles. Clark biographer Curtis Nunn also suggests that this was one of the actress' most commercially successful releases.
From 1914 to the dawn of the 1920s, Clark was Mary Pickford's top rival for America's most beloved screen actress. A 1918 Motion Picture magazine poll placed Pickford first and Clark second in votes for the most popular movie star. A 1919 Princeton poll of men placed Clark third among actresses, notably ahead of Pickford and below Norma Talmadge. Quigley's poll in 1920 voted her the top female box-office draw. Clark's reported salary in 1919 of $300,000 also attests to her popularity. Yet, Clark, recently married, sought retirement, which she soon accomplished by managing to fulfill her contract with Paramount by making nine films in 1919. After that, she made only one more picture in 1921, an independent production, "Scrambled Wives". One supposed result of Clark's marriage on her film career by 1919 was that her husband insisted she didn't kiss her male leads; indeed, the end of this film seems to bare evidence to that.
"Charming" seemed to have often been used as a description for Clark's performances, and it seems fitting of her role in "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch". Despite being 35-years-of-age, Clark isn't too unbelievable in the part of a teenager, despite sometimes appearing on screen alongside real teenagers, including Gladys Valerie, who played the orphan mother of Tommy. Among the supporting cast, Mary Carr stands out in the title role of Mrs. Wiggs; despite having been less than a decade older than Clark, she passes for an elderly widow. Additionally, despite the narrative involving poverty, children outside of marriage, runaway orphans and kidnapping, the film is not treated to be overly melodramatic and has quite a few light, charming and even comedic moments; indeed, it ends up a feel-good picture. Especially since most of Marguerite Clark's films are presumed lost, including what were probably some of her best, such as all but two reels of "Prunella" (1918), I recommend at least "Snow White" and "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" to silent film enthusiasts.
From 1914 to the dawn of the 1920s, Clark was Mary Pickford's top rival for America's most beloved screen actress. A 1918 Motion Picture magazine poll placed Pickford first and Clark second in votes for the most popular movie star. A 1919 Princeton poll of men placed Clark third among actresses, notably ahead of Pickford and below Norma Talmadge. Quigley's poll in 1920 voted her the top female box-office draw. Clark's reported salary in 1919 of $300,000 also attests to her popularity. Yet, Clark, recently married, sought retirement, which she soon accomplished by managing to fulfill her contract with Paramount by making nine films in 1919. After that, she made only one more picture in 1921, an independent production, "Scrambled Wives". One supposed result of Clark's marriage on her film career by 1919 was that her husband insisted she didn't kiss her male leads; indeed, the end of this film seems to bare evidence to that.
"Charming" seemed to have often been used as a description for Clark's performances, and it seems fitting of her role in "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch". Despite being 35-years-of-age, Clark isn't too unbelievable in the part of a teenager, despite sometimes appearing on screen alongside real teenagers, including Gladys Valerie, who played the orphan mother of Tommy. Among the supporting cast, Mary Carr stands out in the title role of Mrs. Wiggs; despite having been less than a decade older than Clark, she passes for an elderly widow. Additionally, despite the narrative involving poverty, children outside of marriage, runaway orphans and kidnapping, the film is not treated to be overly melodramatic and has quite a few light, charming and even comedic moments; indeed, it ends up a feel-good picture. Especially since most of Marguerite Clark's films are presumed lost, including what were probably some of her best, such as all but two reels of "Prunella" (1918), I recommend at least "Snow White" and "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" to silent film enthusiasts.