The Old Maid's Valentine (1900)

Love works in mysterious ways, and sometimes rather cruel ones, too. Poor Miss Pimple thinks Cupid has finally taken notice of her when she receives an envelope on February 14th, but the lonely spinster is in for another of life's little disappointments. The burgeoning Victorian Valentine's industry has a lot to answer for. British film pioneer G. A. Smith cast his own wife Laura Bayley, who wrings every ounce of pathos from this brief appearance. (Simon McCallum) For more information about filmmaker G. A. Smith see http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/449633/index.html You can watch over 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque