The New York Hat - film scenario

This actually is a real movie starring Mary Pickford and directed by D.W. Griffith. I wrote out this film scenario as practice for writing the scenarios in the book. This film is short and is available YouTube. It' terribly
charming.

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_The New York Hat
Directed by D. W. Griffith
Mollie  -  Mary Pickford
Preacher Bolton  -  Lionel Barrymore
Mollie’s father  -  Charles Hill Mailes

_
A DYING MOTHER’S STRANGE TRUST

On her deathbed a woman is surrounded by her husband and daughter, her doctor, and her minister. After speaking quietly with the minister, she dies.

THE BEQUEST

The young minister goes into his office and unwraps a box given to him by the woman as she lay dying. In it is a letter and some bundle of cash.

MY BELOVED PASTOR -
MY HUSBAND WORKED ME TO DEATH, BUT I HAVE MANAGED TO SAVE A LITTLE SUM. TAKE IT AND FROM TIME TO TIME BUY MY DAUGHTER THE BITS OF FINERY SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DENIED. LET NO ONE KNOW.
MARY HARDING

The young pastor is affected by the letter and thinks of what he can do with such a bequest. He laughs a little thinking of the nice things he could do for the young woman, Mollie.

AFTERWARDS
“DADDY, CAN’T I HAVE A NEW HAT?”

The young woman arranges her shabby clothing while her father reads at the table. The house is run-down and dismal looking. She puts on her old hat, which is much too small for her as well as shabby. She looks in the mirror and scrutinizes herself. Then she looks at her father with a shy look and turns to him. She asks him for a new hat.

Her father yells at her for asking such a question and flatly refuses. He gets up and looks at the hat. He tells her it is a perfectly fine hat. He leaves the room. Mollie looks in the mirror again, still disappointed by her apparel. She takes her gloves and puts them in her hand as if they were a bouquet of flowers and tries to play act that she looks fine. She takes off her hat and hangs it up.

She goes outside still holding her gloves. She puts on a happy face and walks down the rural street. She comes across two girls of her own age who are acquaintances. Both girls are dressed in the latest fashions with beautiful hats. Mollie speaks to them, but they don’t want to spend any time with her since she is dressed so inappropriately and they walk back from where they came. Mollie is downcast by their rejection.

THE VILLAGE SENSATION

In a busy women’s shop a woman holds a large hat with bows and flowers. Several old women come into the shop and ask about it. The lady of the shop holds up a sign that says $10. The old ladies fuss about the expense.

The shop lady takes the hat and places it on a stand in the window. Underneath the hat is a sign that reads “Just From New York.” Several young women crowd around the window to get a better look at the hat. Young Mollie gets very close to the window to admire it. The young pastor comes up behind her and talks to her about how pretty the hat is. He asks her why she doesn’t buy the hat. She grows nervous and walks away, leaving the pastor looking at the hat.

THE MINISTER RECALLS HIS TRUST

The pastor goes into the shop and bows to the ladies. He inquires of the hat shop lady about the hat. She retrieves it from the window while the old ladies watch. The pastor agrees to buy the hat and takes out the money while the shop lady gets ready to box it. The old ladies have turned up noses.

Back in young Mollie’s dilapidated house, she comes in and sits down. She is imagining herself wearing the hat. A playful smile about her face.

At the hat shop the pastor has the hat box and is leaving. The old ladies inquire who the hat is for, but the pastor just bows and leaves the shop.

THE GOSSIPS SPECULATE

The old women have pompous looks on their faces as they watch the minister go. They inquire of the shop lady who it was for. But she does not know and says so firmly.

Young Mollie is still imagining the hat and runs her hand along where the brim would be if she were wearing it. Then she realizes that she doesn’t have the hat on and grows sad. Just then the young pastor comes in and gives Mollie the hat. He asks her to keep it secret from who she received the gift. She agrees and they smile at one another.

The minister leaves, feeling satisfied that he has attended to the dead woman’s wishes.

Young Mollie opens the box and her face is a mask of shock at seeing the beautiful hat. She holds it lovingly in her hands and nearly passes out from the happiness. She gets up to put it on and admires herself in the mirror. Smiling hugely and making faces. She grows sad and looks as if she might cry when she thinks of her dear mother. But catching sight of herself in the mirror again, she smiles at the beautiful hat on her head. She touches it with delight.

SUNDAY MORNING SHE ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN

Mollie and her father get ready for church on Sunday morning. She wants to tell him about the hat but he wishes her away. He goes on ahead of her to church. The girl gets out the hat and puts it on. Adjusting the rest of her shabby clothes to go with it. She puts a snow white handkerchief in her breast pocket of her plain dark coat. She admires herself in front of the mirror and then leaves.

She joins up with her father who doesn’t notice the hat. At church, she adjusts the hat and then goes in, getting everyone’s attention as she walks up the path.

AFTER CHURCH MOLLIE AND THE MINISTER LINKED IN A SCANDAL.

Three old men walk away from the church talking business. Following are their wives who cluster close to one another to gossip about the hat.

Mollie is laughed at by many small groups of bystanders. When she approaches the group of gossips to get compliments about her hat they send her away and turn their backs on her. She is confused. As she leaves all the women point and hurry off.

THE GOSSIP REACHES THE FATHER

As Mollie’s father walks home he is stopped by the trio of gossips who tell him where Mollie’s new hat came from. He grows stern after his initial disbelief. Then he nods his head as if he knows what has to be done. He turns and leaves. The three women shrug their shoulders and walk on.

The father comes into the shabby house and sits to wait for his daughter. When she comes in she tries to hide the hat. Her father demands the truth about the hat. Mollie cowers before him. She doesn’t want to reveal the secret, but her father already knows. She cannot lie to him. When she nods her head in agreement that the minister gave her the hat, her grows livid with anger. He rips apart the hat yelling at the poor girl. He throws his fists in the air and continues to rage at the girl who can only look down at the torn up hat on the floor. The father takes his hat and leaves.

HE SEEKS REPARATION FROM THE MINISTER

The father exits the yard through the dilapidated fence. Poor Mollie holds the remains of the hat and cries. She leaves the house and goes after her father.

The gossips meet the gentlemen of the church board on the street and spread their vicious rumor.

THE CHURCH BOARD INVESTIGATES

The men of the church board are flabbergasted at the news. They see Mollie and demand of her the truth. She is crying but doesn’t know how to answer. She runs off.

Her father had gone to the church for the minister, but he had already left. He heads for the minister’s house.

Mollie seeks out the minister to tell him of what has become of her hat. She sits in his office and cries. The young minister tries to get her to calm down and lifts her head up by her chin. One of the old gossips has her eye to the window and sees everything, but interprets it wrongly. She tells the others and they all burst into the minister’s office in anger at the supposed indecent behavior of the pair.

The angry church board members demand an explanation of the minister. The old gossips start taking it out on Mollie, pointing at her and letting loose their sharp tongues.

The minister reads to them the letter from Mollie’s dead mother. All the members of the church board apologize. The gossips are silenced. Then Mollie’s miserly father bursts in. He demands recompense for his daughter’s ruined reputation.

The minister puts into the father’s hands his dead wife’s letter.

MY BELOVED PASTOR -
MY HUSBAND WORKED ME TO DEATH, BUT I HAVE MANAGED TO SAVE A LITTLE SUM. TAKE IT AND FROM TIME TO TIME BUY MY DAUGHTER THE BITS OF FINERY SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DENIED. LET NO ONE KNOW.
MARY HARDING

The old miser reads the letter and becomes indignant, but says nothing. The others file out of the room. The old gossips stand outside, their noses up in the air. The church board members give them grave, menacing looks as the file past. The old gossips follow in their wake, looking not very apologetic for their mean mistake.

AN UNEXPECTED TRUST

The minister explains to Mollie that he enjoyed doing those nice things for her. She repeats him, then grows embarrassed and tries to run out. Her father and the pastor stop her. The minister explaining to Mollie. Mollie turns to her father and they have a long whispered conversation with much pointing and gesturing.

Mollie turns to the minister and nods, looking much happier. The minister speaks to Mollie and gestures towards her. She glances quickly at her father and then nods in agreement. The two come to a happy understanding and the minster puts his arm around Mollie’s waist. The father gives a snap and looks on happily.