A Lucky Toothache

On the edge of a dusty western town, a new schoolteacher named Bessie arrives to take charge. A group of cowboys greets her with candy and small favors, turning the walk to school into a flirtatious display. Soon a painful toothache erupts, and various would be healers offer odd remedies. Then Tom appears, promising a cure if she agrees to his method, and leaves a note to seal the deal. Desperate from the ache, she accepts, and after a brief flourish of theatrical preparations, his cure culminates in an unexpectedly intimate kiss on her cheek. The mood stays playful throughout, with pacing and exaggerated reaction shots typical of the era.

Directed by Frank Powell, this 1910 silent short stars Mary Pickford in dual roles as Mary and Bessie, with Mack Sennett and Kate Bruce supporting. The film is a product of early Hollywood's experimentation with comedy and romance and charm.

Box office figures for this 1910 release are not well documented, a common fate for many early silent shorts. The film survives as a curio of Pickford's pre stardom era and Powell's directorial aims, valuable for researchers and historians today.

As an early entry in Mary Pickford's storied career, the film offers a glimpse of her comic timing and screen persona that would define silent era star power. It also marks an early collaboration with Mack Sennett, foreshadowing the blend of romance and vaudeville in later comedies and fans worldwide.

Critical notes on this release are sparse, but the plot hints at frontier courting norms and the tension between flirtation and propriety. The short uses humor to soften a bold gesture and to showcase Pickford's growing screen magnetism with an audience reach that echoed through early film history for students.