What The Daisy Said (1910 Film) -- Directed By D.W. Griffith -- Full Movie

"He loves, he loves me not. He loves me!" What faith have we not placed in this floral prophet when we were in the spring of life. Infallible was its answer when we pulled off each petal repeating the above litany. At the opening of this Biograph subject, we find Martha and Milly, two sisters, in the daisy field of that little mystic flower the momentous question, "Does he love me?" The answer in both cases is "Yea!" and off the happy little maids skip towards the homestead. Martha learns of the presence in the village of a band of gypsies and is anxious to have her fortune told by one of these nomads, curious to know if the story of the daisy is true. Foolish girl not to believe implicitly in the daisy. For this skepticism or, rather, lover's apostasy, she incurs the displeasure of the daisy and vengeance is certain. A handsome young gypsy appears, reads her palm, planning her future to suit himself. Martha is fascinated by the young nomad and later really loves and believes in him, meeting him clandestinely at the foot of a waterfall as often as possible. Finally she persuades her sister Milly to have her fortune told by the gypsy, of course, not hinting of her love for the young man. However, the gypsy now makes the sisters unknown rivals of each other for him, each girl guarding her secret carefully. But the daisy wreaks its vengeance when Martha comes suddenly upon her sister and the gypsy at the waterfall. She witnesses the wretch's perfidy unseen by them, and so she stealthily departs vowing never to see him again. At this time the old father of the two girls remarking their absence goes in search of them. He is amazed upon surprising his daughter Milly in the company of the gypsy, and an argument ensues which results in the old man being knocked down. The girl's cries bring several farmhands, who, thinking the old man killed, start after the gypsy to annihilate him. He is in a fair way of being apprehended when he arrives at the gate of the homestead where Martha is seated weeping from chagrin and disappointment. He appeals to her to save him, which she at first is loathe to do but the realization that she once cared for him softens her and she directs him into a barrel and covers him with potatoes, so that when his pursuers arrive he is safely under cover. Meanwhile, the old man is found to have been only stunned by his fall and in no way hurt, so the hands are asked to desist in their dire design. Still they proceed to camp where the young scoundrel has now arrived and order him to leave the neighborhood at once, following him for a distance to be sure he obeys their injunction. The girls are now regenerated in their faith in the daisy, each going to her sincere rustic sweetheart.—Moving Picture World synopsis

Directed by D. W. Griffith
Written by Stanner E.V. Taylor
Starring Clara T. Bracy
Cinematography G. W. Bitzer
Distributed by Biograph Company
Release date

July 11, 1910

Running time
12 minutes
Country United States
Language Silent with English intertitles