Susie of the Follies

Released May 28, 1917, Susie of the Follies is a one-reel Black Diamond Comedy filmed and produced by the United States Motion Picture Corporation (USMPC) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures.

As of the writing of this article (November 25, 2017), no prints of this film are known to survive. If you have any information about the film, please contact us.

A synopsis of the film is available in the  June 9, 1917, issue of The Moving Picture World on page 1668. The text below was transcribed by Noreen O’Connor in 2017:

SUSIE OF THE FOLLIES (Black Diamond­ May 28) –The cast: Susie (Beatrice Joy); Mr. Lamb (Billie Quirk); his wife (Ruth Elder); father (Julian Reed); mother (Betty Shales).

Lamb’s wife is visiting her parents and he decides to renew his acquaintance with Susie of the Follies. He writes two letters. One to his wife and one making an appointment with Susie. Upon meeting Susie, he discovers he has mixed the envelopes and realizes his wife will get the letter intended for Susie. He telegraphs her that he is dead and for her to return home. He rushes to the parents’ home hoping to intercept the letter–only to find that it has been forwarded home.

The wife, accompanied by her father and mother, return and are unable to locate Lamb’s body. The Father, who is somewhat of a sport does not seem to worry much.  In the mean-time Susie calls at Lamb’ s house. She proceeds to have a merry time with father, much to the old man’s consternation.

Lamb comes on the scene and feigns death when wife and mother appear. Father in desperation hides Susie, and the letter is delivered to the wife. Lamb, in order to prevent her reading it, comes to life, accuses father of harboring a woman, and drags Susie from her hiding place. Father is getting his when Susie gives a plausible explanation of her presence and exchanges the troublesome letter, and everybody is satisfied.