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Mrs. Bargainday’s Baby
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 950 feet
Directed by William F. Haddock
Cast: [?] Edith Storey?, [?] Francis Ford?
Méliès Star-Film [American] production; distributed by Méliès Star-Film [American]. / Produced by Gaston Méliès. Cinematography by William Paley. / Released 4 August 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 6 August 1910, page ?] Mrs. Bargainday reads of a bargain day sale, takes her baby, and starts for the sale to avoid the rush. Arriving at the store, she meets at the door Mr. Jones and requests him to hold her baby for her while she goes inside to do some shopping. He consents, supposing she will only be a few minutes, and while standing there with the baby in his arms several of his lady friends, attracted by the bargain sale, pass him by with surprise, and others entirely ignore him or smile with amusement. Poor Jones is in a pickle. Mrs. Bargainday is fighting her way to the bargain counter and gets so in the spirit of the thing that she forgets, for the time being, all about Jones and her child. Jones is on the verge of collapse when Smith comes along with his baby in a perambulator and, while he steps up to the store window to see the display of goods, Jones puts Mrs. Bargainday’s baby in the carriage with Smith’s youngster and then “beats it” for his office. Smith starts off with his perambulator entirely ignorant of his extra charge, stops at a saloon, slips in, and meets several of his friends who all insist in treating Smith in turn. Smith comes out of the saloon and discovers Mrs. Bargainday’s baby, thinks he sees double or else has overindulged. Satisfying himself that there are two kids instead of one, he goes on his way until he reaches a very inviting door-step, places Mrs. Bargainday’s baby on it, rings the door-bell, and makes himself scarce. The occupant of the house, Mrs. Greene, hears the bell, goes to the front door and discovers the baby, takes it to her room, and tries to make it comfortable. Her husband, who soon comes home, sees the baby and will not listen to his wife’s explanation and insists upon getting rid of it. She goes out on the street to look for the child's parents and meets a classy young man and his sweetheart, rushes up to them and thrusts the “kidlet” into the young man’s arms and makes a “get away” before the young man can realize what it all means. To add to his predicament, his girl thinks there is something suspicious about the whole matter and he certainly feels uncomfortable. While all this is going on, Mrs. Bargainday has come out of the store with her purchases, looks for Jones and the baby, learns the direction Jones has taken, and starts in pursuit until she comes up with him. He tells her he gave the child to Smith and then, with Jones, starts after Smith. They are informed Smith was seen in the saloon, where they are told the course he has taken, and again, with others joining in the chase, they take up the trail and reach Greene’s house, where the little one was left by Smith, and are informed by Mrs. Greene that she gave it to a young fellow down the street. Eagerly the race begins again until they reach the young man who is foolishly holding the baby. He gladly returns it to its mother who, overjoyed, clasps it to her bosom exclaiming, “My child, my child,” greatly to the relief of all hands who have been drawn into the general mixup with Mrs. Bargainday’s baby.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 7 August 2023.
References: Thompson-Star pp. 113-115, 228 : ClasIm-226 p. 54 : Website-AFI.
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