Although there may have been two other directors, Algie, the Miner saw Alice Guy-Blaché at the height of her abilities as a filmmaker and as a practitioner of standard Hollywood film grammar. The film tells the story of a foppish man played by Billy Quirk who is given an ultimatum: in order to marry the woman he loves, he must prove himself a man in one year's time. And how would American men in the early 20th century prove their manliness? Go West, of course! So he becomes a miner, abandons his more "girly" mannerisms, saves his employer and friend from alcoholism, becomes a "man," and claims his bride. Gone are the frigid tableaux that dominated Guy-Blaché's earlier films. Although many scenes are done with static shots, there is a good smattering of editing between medium and long shots as well as camera pans. It helps that Quirk gave a funny (yet dated) performance.
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