Mickey (1918)

'Til now this list has felt very much about The Forward March of Progress, cinematically speaking.  But Mickey is not so concerned with pushing boundaries of any kind, and in fact it felt significantly cruder than Stella Maris.  I chose it for the list because it was the highest grossing film of the teens (at least as far as I can tell - these things are murky for the first few decades).  It wasn't a Great Work of Art.  It was a crowd-pleaser - also very important to film history.  And I'd have to say, overall, it still is.

Mickey (1918)

"Mickey" was a charming little film.  It was the highest grossing of the 1910s, and I can see why.  It's short, often funny, and has a feel-good story.  It's possibly the earliest Cinderella story on film, and just about everyone loves a Cinderella story.

Mabel Normand plays the main character of Mickey, and I really liked her.  I'm beginning to think I was born in the wrong era - all the movies we've watched so far have featured very ordinary women in the leading roles.  Mary Pickford was pretty, but not in an unreal, intimidating way.  Mabel Normand, while adorable, is not what I would call beautiful.  None of the women were stick figure skinny like actresses today.  These women look like me.  I don't feel bad about myself or my appearance when I'm watching them.  It would be nice if Hollywood would go back to that kind of casting; casting based on talent rather than looks.