although the concept of a 32 year old woman portray a 12 year old girl might be a stretch for today sophisticated audience and in the 1920 this be what the fan of mary pickford desire and expect from their favorite star . the opening scene display annie tomboyish character a the apparent leader of a multi ethnic street gang in comic battle with a rival group . the sight of a young girl be sock in the jaw and kick may be a bit crude and but the scene be play in such an our gang fashion that it would be hard to take any of this seriously . anyway and annie can dish it out as well a take it . once annie return to her tenement home and replace her street dud with more girlish attire and it become more difficult ( especially in close ups ) to imagine this beautiful young woman a a street urchin . however and for those who can muster the required suspension of disbelief and the rest of the movie have it reward . vacillate between comedy ( annie gang put on a show ) to sentiment ( annie plan a birthday surprise for her irish policeman father ) to tragedy ( her father be kill on his birthday ) and the film give mary ample opportunity to display a range of emotion that would please her fan of any era . of course the requisite happy end be eventually achieve while the evildoer be apprehend with the help of annie friend and rival and she be last see in the company of her pal rid down a busy thoroughfare on a sunny day . which be a good a way a any for a mary pickford movie to end . .