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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 695

Daddy-Long-Legs

191985 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 84:09
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Marshall Neilan · Public domain

Synopsis

Judy grows up in an orphanage where she defends younger children against a harsh routine. An anonymous benefactor eventually pays for her education, asking only for letters about her progress. At college she begins to find her own voice as a writer, while friendship and romance raise questions about the mysterious person she calls Daddy-Long-Legs.

Cast

Mary Pickford

Milla Davenport

Mahlon Hamilton

DirectorsMarshall Neilan

Inspirations

Mary Pickford's comedy-drama adapts Jean Webster's 1912 novel. The heroine's letters provide a connection between the institutional childhood she wants to escape and the independent adult life she hopes to build.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Mary Pickford — Rufus Porter Moody · Public domain
Milla Davenport — Ward Lascelle Productions / W.W. Hodkinson through Pathé Exchange · Public domain
Mahlon Hamilton — Unknown author Unknown author; Billy Rose Theatre Collection NYPL Digital Gallery · Public domain

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