A Fighting Colleen

A Fighting Colleen
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Directed by	David Smith
Screenplay by	Gerald C. Duffy^[1]
Story by	Gerald C. Duffy^[1]
Starring	Bessie Love Charles Spere
Cinematography	Charles R. Seeling^[2]
Production company	Vitagraph Company of America^[1]
Release date	November 16, 1919 (1919-11-16) (U.S.)^[3]^[4]
Running time	5 reels;^[1] 4,471 feet^[5]
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

A Fighting Colleen is a 1919 American silent comedy-drama^[1] film directed by David Smith^[1] and produced by Vitagraph Company of America.^[1] It stars Bessie Love and Charles Spere.

The film is presumed lost.^[6]

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Plot

Alannah Malone (Love), an Irish immigrant living in a tenement, who sells newspapers to make a living. When her mother dies, she engages in fistfights to defend her territory from newsboys. One particular newsboy (Spere) falls for her after she beats him up. The tenement in which Alannah lives is owned by the city's unjust mayor. When the District Attorney announces his candidacy for mayor, Alannah aids his campaign by gathering evidence to expose the mayor as a hypocrite.^[1]^[7]

Cast

Bessie Love as Alannah Malone^[1]
Anne Schaefer as Mother Malone
Charles Spere as Jimmy Meehan
Jay Morley as Stanton Colby
George Kunkel as Mortimer Wall
Beulah Clark as Maggie O'Higgins

Reception

Press for the film likened it to Mary Pickford's Daddy Long Legs and Mabel Normand's Mickey.^[8] The film received positive reviews, and did well at the box office.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Hamlin, Tom (November 22, 1919). "A Fighting Colleen (Vitagraph)". Motion Picture News. Vol. 20, no. 22. p. 3789.
^ Love, Bessie (1977). From Hollywood with Love: An Autobiography of Bessie Love. London: Elm Tree Books. p. 150. OCLC 734075937.
^ "Release Dates". The Film Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folks. January 4, 1920. p. 30.
^ "Release Dates". The Film Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folks. December 14, 1919. p. 30.
^ "Slight Entertainment in Story of Slum Life". Wid's Daily. New York: Wid's Films and Film Folks. November 16, 1919. p. 23.
^ "A Fighting Colleen / David Smith [motion picture]". Library of Congress.
^ Monroe, Mary Denham (December 1919). "The Fighting Colleen". Picture-Play Magazine. Vol. 11, no. 4. pp. 45–48, 101.
^ "Shortt's Theatre". Evening Post. Vol. 99, no. 109. Melbourne. May 8, 1920. p. 3.
^
Various contemporaneous reviews:
- Perry, Will C. (May 22, 1920). "Vitagraph". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 10, no. 21. p. 80. This is a winsome little play, and the star does herself credit. Good house.
- "Vitagraph". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 11, no. 10. September 4, 1920. p. 116. Pleased our patrons. Well worth considering. Love a very pleasing star.
- "Vitagraph". Motion Picture News. Vol. 21, no. 14. March 27, 1920. p. 2986. An entertaining comedy drama.
- Miles, A. N. (August 7, 1920). "Vitagraph". Exhibitors Herald. Vol. 11, no. 6. p. 81. A likable little picture with a pleasing star whose work deserves bigger and better plays. Rain hurt business, but those who saw it like it.