User Reviews

Scheduled for release on Dec. 15th, Essanay's full-length film, "The Goodfellows' Christmas Eve," will come at a most opportune time to move men and women on whom fortune has smiled, to assist in administering to the needs and contributing to the joys of those in poverty and distress. Around Christmastide, more especially, there abound good will and good deeds towards the less favored among the sons of men, and the Essanay film under review will doubtless make an appeal to many thousands of hearts. It will be just three years ago this coming Christmas since a big, warm-hearted Chicagoan started this "Goodfellow" movement. He undertook the gigantic task single-handed, but discovered so many cases of squalid misery throughout the city that he was obsessed by a sense of his impotence. In what might be called his despair, he wrote a series of letters to the Chicago Tribune, still concealing his identity, for it was a vital feature of his plan of relief that no one partaking of his bounty should ever know his name and that the names of all those whom he assisted should be kept secret. The Tribune took up the plan most heartily, and soon scores of "Goodfellows" volunteered to assist in the work. Many noble women, it must be remembered, were included in the ranks and the number has increased yearly, until now there need not be a child in the city without some token that Santa Claus has paid a visit, or a home without a Christmas dinner, and much needed articles of wearing apparel, or money with which to buy medicine, fuel, etc. Other cities have followed the lead of Chicago "Goodfellows," and it is believed that the Essanay film will be a potent factor in making the movement worldwide. The film has been produced by Essanay's Eastern company. It shows many pathetic scenes copied from real life, and no attempt has been made to exaggerate conditions. These scenes reveal excellent studio work, the surroundings and characters being typical of each case of destitution. The club scene, in which a grouchy old bachelor turns a deaf ear to the entreaties of his fellow members, all of them "Goodfellows" to join them, shows capital acting. Spirited persistence is shown by the "Goodfellows" and it met with equally obdurate obstinacy by the crusty old man. When a copy of the Tribune is handed him and his attention is drawn to the heading : "Wanted: Ten Thousand Good Fellows to Bring Cheer to Ten Thousand Cheerless Children," he throws the paper down in anger and snaps his old jaws shut with the ferocity of a bull dog. Not even then do his companions cease to urge him to join them, but, surely and determined, he waves them away. Dreams of his childhood succeed where his friends had failed. In his big chair he dozes, and has a vision of a Christmas tree of 50 years ago, in the old home, around which father and mother and a little boy flutter happily on Christmas Eve. This is followed by another, showing the same trio on Christmas morning, examining stockings to find what Santa Claus had left them. Awakening, he eagerly seizes the newspaper and reads about the great need for "goodfellows." Then he calls for his overcoat, hat and cane and hurries out in search of his friends, who are making their Christmas Eve rounds to bring joy and gladness to gloomy homes. He has just joined them when a tiny baby is discovered in a large basket in a doorway. A note is attached to the outside wrappings, in which the mother prays that some Christian soul will give her baby a home. The baby is passed from man to man, each anxious to give it a home, but old Grouch seizes it and carries it home in triumph to his housekeeper. Then he rejoins the "goodfellows." Next we see them visit a poor sick widow and her children. There is neither medicine nor food in the house. Tell-tale moisture clouds the eyes as one watches these "goodfellows" chasing despair and hunger from this helpless household. And we laugh in merry glee as we note that old man Grouch is the most generous giver of them all! So it is in the remaining scenes, and when all is over and the "goodfellows" return to the club to drink a Christmas morning toast, we are not surprised to hear, "Here's to the death of old man Grouch, and here's hail to the birth of a jolly 'goodfellow'!" The photography throughout is of such quality that it will contribute greatly to the pleasure of viewing the film. - The Moving Picture World, December 16, 1911