Based on the novel Why not? by Margaret Widdemer published in 1915, this film was intended for the summer audience as a light summer entertainment piece. The story is a modern fairy tale with a feminine touch. Carmel Myers plays the role of Rosamond Gilbert (Annette Stuart in the surviving French version), a girl who inherited $5,000 from her uncle. With the money, she sets up a fortune teller’s stand, trying to make the wishes of her clients and her own desires come true. Her first client is a wealthy girl named Sydney Brown whose wish is to be a boy. Rosamond gives her some boy’s clothes and in this disguise, Sydney meets the lonesome James and they soon become friends. But when Sydney resumes to her girl’s clothes, James realizes that he loves her. Meanwhile Rosamond’s wealthy neighbour John (called Max Standish in the French version) is led into a fake mining deal. Rosamond persuades him to invest money with the business dealings of Jerrold (aka Richard Harold), a swindler. Jerrold’s deceit is discovered in the end and Rosamond finds out that she is loved by John. Thus by realizing the dreams of other people, Rosamond finds her own happiness. Elsie Jane Wilson, an actress at Universal, directed this film. She is known as the wife of Rupert Julian and she often appeared in the films her husband directed. As is well known, Carl Laemmle consciously encouraged his actresses to direct films. Elsie Jane Wilson was one of the actresses who did and this was her second feature film with Carmel Myers. The beautiful scenery inherent in many of the Bluebird Photoplays’ productions is also seen in this film: “The scenes are pretty, particularly attractive being the lake views and the tiny bungalow scenes” (“Exhibitor’s Trade Review”, Aug 3, 1918).

Hiroshi Komatsu