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The Adventures of Fifine
(1909) United States of America
B&W : Split-reel / 490 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: (unknown)
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The Vitagraph Company of America. / © 20 July 1909 by The Vitagraph Company of America [J129600]. Released 20 July 1909; in a split-reel with Instruction by Correspondence (1909). / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy: Romance.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 17 July 1909, page ?] The plot is laid in a French academy near Paris, where Fifine, an orphan scholar, is discovered in the classroom with other girls of her own age. Presently Fifine, who has apparently been working very earnestly, nudges one of her classmates and holds up to view a caricature of Madam Lemair, the teacher and head of the academy, which she has drawn upon her slate. There is a general snicker among the girls, whereupon Madam commands Fifine to bring the slate. Madam looks at the picture in horror, places a fool’s cap on Fifine’s head, and stands her on a stool. Here the mischief-maker cuts up all manner of capers until the class is dismissed. Fifine is told to stay, and Madam shows her a letter from her guardian, in which he states that he has arranged to marry his ward to his nephew, Paul Leval, in a month’s time. Fifine tears the letter in pieces and goes angrily from the room. Before retiring for the night, Madam visits her dormitory, assures herself that the pupils are asleep, then goes to her room. The door is scarcely closed when Fifine sits up and awakens her chums, to whom she tells of the arrangements for her marriage and of her determination to escape from the school. She dons a suit of boy’s clothes and, with the aid of the girls, climbs out of the window and is gone. The next morning finds her trudging along the country road, tired and hungry. She has no money and an apple orchard nearby appeals to her as the only place where her hunger can be appeased. She gathers a few apples and is contentedly munching them when a shout alarms her and an angry farmer and two servants are rapidly approaching. She runs off, closely followed by the farmer, his assistants, and a gendarme whom they have pressed into service. Coming to an apartment house, Fifine dashes in the entrance, through the hall and up the fire escape, through a window into an apartment, where a young man is smoking and yawning over his newspaper. He springs to his feet in astonishment at the sudden appearance of Fifine and asks the trouble. She tells of her experience in the orchard and begs him to protect her. At this moment there is a knock at the door. The young man hides Fifine under a table, and resumes his reading as the door opens and the pursuers enter and demand the object of their search. The young man denies any knowledge of the culprit and orders them from his room. When they have gone, Fifine emerges from her hiding place, partakes of some refreshments, and she and the young man are talking pleasantly as another knock is heard. Fifine hides again as Mons. Leval enters excitedly and tells the young man that his ward has run away from school and the marriage he had planned must for the present be postponed. In the midst of the conversation, Fifine comes from beneath the table and throws herself into Mons. Leval’s arms. When the situation is explained and Fifine realizes that her protector is none other than Paul Leval, to escape marrying whom she ran away from school, she regrets her hastiness, runs to him, and nestles in his arms, while her guardian stands by, astonished but pleased.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 24 August 2023.
References: LoC-MoPic-1 p. 1 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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