Mignonette's primary photo
  • Mignonette (1916)
  • Short | Short, Drama
Primary photo for Mignonette
Mignonette (1916)
Short | Short, Drama

Henri Beregere, a young violinist, lives in a tenement on the East Side of New York. To those with whom be comes in contact he is something of a mystery. In his past life there seems to have been some great sorrow that has made of him a ...See moreHenri Beregere, a young violinist, lives in a tenement on the East Side of New York. To those with whom be comes in contact he is something of a mystery. In his past life there seems to have been some great sorrow that has made of him a silent and retiring man. In his little room we see his fingers idly running through the notes until they come to a sprig of mignonette. It is obviously a link with the past, for Henri's memory goes back to the long ago. The young violinist is fired with boundless ambition and dreams, but he is compelled to earn his livelihood by playing in a cheap music hall. Just across the way from Henri lives Mrs. Miller, his landlady. Her husband is a shiftless artist imbued with artistic ideals which do not provide for the family, the support of which rests on the sturdy shoulders of his wife to whom art is an unknown quantity. Mrs. Miller is about to prepare supper, but finds the larder empty. So she opens her purse and sends her husband to purchase food. Miller walks to the street, but has not gone far when his attention is arrested by a dismal looking shop, packed with all sorts of curios. He is particularly attracted by a terra cotta statue about a foot high, and purchases it with the money intended for the evening meal. The owner of the shop seems to part with the statue with a heavy heart, and when Miller asks the reason the dealer tells him it was purchased from a man to whose girl-wife the old man had become attached. Her name was Mignon and her husband was a brutal and dissipated Italian musician. One of their boarders was a young student of music whose name the old curio dealer does not know. Mignon admired his genius and he was inspired by her appreciation to write an opera which he appropriately called "Mignonette." Unconsciously the student and Mignon became attached to each other. Her husband's jealousy was aroused. When the young musician left on a trip, leaving the keys of his desk in which he had locked his beloved opera in Mignon's care she could not resist the temptation to scan the pages of the manuscript she had inspired. Thus her husband surprised her, seized the manuscript and flung it into the burning grate. Then Mignon fell ill, and from her delirium the old curio dealer, when he called, gathered the story. The Italian sold his furniture and works of art and moved away. The old dealer never heard of them again, nor of the young composer. Miller takes the statue home and finds his wife furious over the delay. When she learns that he has purchased what she considers rubbish, she shatters the statue. Among the remnants of the statue they find the charred manuscript of an opera, which was secreted in the hollow statue. Henri, who has returned, hears the strains of music and hastens to the landlord's rooms. "My opera," he cries, and clasps the manuscript to his heart. In time the opera is produced and meets with success. But all success does not console Henri, who cannot forget Mignon. He tries to locate her, and his quest leads him to the old curio dealer, from whom the statue was purchased. Meanwhile, Mignon returns to the city after a long absence, and at once seeks out her old friend, the curio dealer. There she meets Henri, who, though his heart goes out to her, hesitates to take her in his arms until she tells him that her brutal husband is dead. The banquet given in honor of the young composer's operatic success is also the celebration of his betrothal to Mignon, who, when her husband thrust the opera into the grate, snatched it from the flames when his back was turned, and hid it in the statue. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
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Director
Writer
Harry Dittmar (scenario)
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Apr 9, 1916

Release date
Apr 9, 1916 (United States)

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Cast

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5 cast members
Name Known for
Harry Benham
Henri Bergere - a Young Violinist Henri Bergere - a Young Violinist   See fewer
Barrington Barringer
Mignon's Husband - the Italian Musician Mignon's Husband - the Italian Musician   See fewer
Marcus Moriarity
The Curio Dealer The Curio Dealer   See fewer
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