Name: Dick Whittington and his Cat
Genre: Adventure
Released: 1913-04-16
Duration: 45 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: Vinnie Burns, Audrey Berry

Vinnie Burns is Dick Whittington, who comes to London, where he imagines the streets are paved with gold. They aren't. He -- even though Miss Burns isn't a boy, the character is -- gets a job sculling the kitchen of a wealthy merchant. His garret is overrun with rats, so he gets a cat. When the merchant sets sail, he offers his employees the chance to proffer their possession for trade. Dick only owns his cat. He offers it.

I'm sure you know the popular English fairy tale. Alice Guy directs this early feature (more than 40 minutes long!) in a style suggestive of a Christmas pantomime. That's almost certainly why it's a lady who plays the title role. Other than that, it's performed in a fairly naturalistic style, even though it's almost entirely stage-bound (Dick is by some rocks doors when he hears the Bow Bell), and the costumes are the sort of high medieval clothing you'll see in book engravings. It's a very engaging movie for the year it was made. With a good organ accompaniment, it would still go over very well.

The adventure genre features exciting journeys, quests, or expeditions undertaken by characters who often face challenges, obstacles, and risks in pursuit of a goal. Adventures can take place in a wide range of settings, from exotic and fantastical locations to historical or even everyday environments.

A young boy hears wondrous tales of London, where the streets are paced with gold. He leaves his country home to see his fortune in London.

Vinnie Burns in Dick Whittington and his Cat (1913)

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Audrey Berry, Vinnie Burns, and Alice Guy in Dick Whittington and his Cat (1913)

Dick Whittington and his Cat

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