Movie spotlight
The Microbe
Happy O'Brien, called "The Microbe," or "Mike" for short, a female street urchin who sells newspapers dressed as a boy to avoid harassment, is saved from arrest for fighting other newsboys in Chinatown by wealthy author DeWitt Spense. DeWitt, there to purchase drugs, is so moved by Mike's pugnacity, that he takes her to his mansion for literary inspiration. When DeWitt learns that Mike is a girl, he resolves to educate her. As Mike blossoms, DeWitt's attentions turn to love, to the dismay of Judith Winthrope, who wants to marry him, and his friend Robert Breton, who, with Judith, convinces Mike that DeWitt's writing is suffering because of her.
Insights
Plot Summary
This short comedy film appears to focus on comedic situations involving microbes or perhaps a character dealing with a minor illness. Due to its age and the lack of detailed surviving records, the precise plot details are difficult to ascertain.
Critical Reception
As a very early silent short film, "The Microbe" did not receive widespread critical reviews in the modern sense. Information about its reception is largely lost to time, but contemporary short comedies often served as light entertainment.
What Reviewers Say
Lost to history and lacking contemporary reviews.
Likely served as brief comedic relief for audiences of the time.
Its obscurity highlights the challenge of preserving early film history.
Google audience: No specific Google user reviews are available for this film due to its age.
Fun Fact
Many short films from this era, like 'The Microbe', are now lost or exist only in fragments, making them difficult to study and appreciate today.
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