AllMovie

Despite the seeming limitations of silent film, this may be the truest and the most watchable version of Kate Douglas Wiggin's novel, with brisk pacing, vividly drawn characters, and a totally beguiling performance at its core from Mary Pickford, who is able to pull off the impersonation of a plucky 13-year-old with amazing success (for this role, it is as they say also about Shakespeare's Juliet, that it takes an adult actress to find the range, sincerity, and passion needed, at least so adults can resonate to the piece). Pickford's eyes are so magnificently expressive that she does with them more than Shirley Temple, in the most familiar sound version, can do with her whole body, her voice, and a locked in musical accompaniment. The supporting performances are excellent as well, and just as carefully drawn and nuanced; indeed, there's a lot to be drawn from Marshall Neilan's direction, even 90 years later -- one suspects that Michael Landon, in planning the Little House on the Prairie TV series, took some cues from it either directly or indirectly, and more than one filmmaker aiming for family fare in the 21st century could still learn something from the light touch and deceptively delicate textures employed here.