User Reviews

The Foundling's storyline is a typical orphan tale, mother dying in childbirth, father rejecting child as direct cause of wife's death with child eventually being reunited years later with the now guilt ridden forgiving father. However, Pickford is able to make it more believable with her ability to add pathos to situations her character endures. The Foundling is extremely captivating and Pickford's added humorous touches along with the pathos, helps to bring a charming reality to the orphan girl. Mary is delightful to watch as always and when Lillian Gish saw "The Foundling" she suggested to Mary she should play a small child throughout an entire film. Mary could not believe "The public would be interested in a story without a love theme". Gish said she liked the child incident better then anything she had seen Mary do. Mary did follow the suggestion with the filming of "A Poor Little Rich Girl" and the response was sensational, the film an amazing success, thus changing the course of Mary Pickford's career forever. The Foundling should not be overlooked by anyone interested in Mary Pickford's early work and her evolution as an silent film actress.

A struggling artist's wife dies while giving birth to a baby girl. He wants nothing to do with the baby who ends up in an orphanage. The girl, named Molly O, is adopted when she is 12 by Mrs. Grimes, a boarding house manager. Ever the optimist Molly O is sure she is at last going to have a loving mother. But in fact Mrs. Grimes only wants someone to do all the drudgery work at the boardinghouse. For two years, Molly O's life is one of endless work but she finds joy in caring for a stray dog and her pups and then runs away from the boardinghouse with the dog and pups. Meanwhile, the father has had a change of heart after "hearing" from his dead wife and goes searching for his daughter. The orphanage manager tricks the father into believing that her nasty niece is in fact his daughter. Is it really a spoiler to say that after various travails and shenanigans, that everything turns out okay? One of the best, and most touching scenes of the movie is when Molly O leaves the orphanage. The little girls she leaves behind are so heartbroken since she was their protector and mentor. Even today it is easy to see why Mary Pickford was so popular. She had an amazing screen presence. A thoroughly engaging film.