Bill's Sweetheart

Bill, who is with a bunch of cowboys on their way to town, picks up from the wreckage of a prairie schooner a little baby girl. Five years later the little girl, while running after butterflies, gets lost. Bill, waking up from his siesta, goes in search of her, but she cannot be found. The little girl, in the meantime, has climbed into a freighter's wagon. For twelve years she lives with him. One evening, while gambling with Mexican Pete, the freighter loses his money, and the girl, whom he had staked against the Mexican's winnings. But before the Mexican can take the girl away, Bill wins her from the Mexican, places her in the care of a woman neighbor and eventually marries her.

Directed by J. Searle Dawley, Bill's Sweetheart leans on a strong ensemble — Sydney Ayres, Betty Harte, Dick La Reno — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about western titles of 1913.