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Auntie’s Portrait
(1915) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by George D. Baker
Cast: Sidney Drew [Henry Honeypet], Jane Morrow (Mrs. Sidney Drew) [Mrs. Honeypet], Ethel Lee [Auntie Flora]
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / From a screen story by Sam Smiles. / Released 1 January 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Mr. and Mrs. Honeypet are expectantly awaiting a promised present from their Aunt Flora, who is very wealthy and traveling abroad. It arrives in a huge packing case, and the Honeypets. Trembling with anticipatory delight, burrow through huge layers of cotton and straw. Henry brings forth an atrocious chromo portrait of Auntie. They are so disgusted Henry hides it in the attic, as they do not expect Flora to visit them for a long time. She arrives much sooner than expected, however, and entirely unannounced. While Mrs. Honeypet tries to entertain Auntie, Henry tries desperately to get the picture hung. He meets with some exciting adventures because Auntie insists on seeing all the rooms in the house. Henry finally has to flee outdoors with the picture. There he gets a clever idea and dashes off to a picture store. Meanwhile, Flora gets into a fierce argument with the Honeypet’s husky cook and demands her instant dismissal. This Mrs. Honeypet refuses to do. Then Flora announces that she will leave the house and never return, in addition to cutting them out of her will completely. Angry at Henry’s unexplained absence and because she has not seen her picture, Flora, despite Mrs. Honeypet’s pleading, makes her way to the front door, and there collides with Henry coming in. He smoothly explains that he had just taken the portrait to an art store to have it suitably framed, and holds up the creation for inspection. The cook, at the quiet urging of the Honeypets, enters and raves about the “wonderful” portrait. This completely restores peace, and from the benign way in which Flora looks at the Honeypets, it is evident that their future happiness and comfort is assured.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 26 October 2024.
References: Website-IMDb.
Home video: Blu-ray Disc.
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