Volume II: Filmography

HER NEW YORK

Director A.C. Lund with Gladys Hulette during filming of HER NEW YORK. From an article in the January 1917 issue of Picture-Play Magazine (M-54)

Herald for HER NEW YORK featuring Gladys Hulette. Courtesy Thanhouser Collection (Her-NY)

Working title: THE HEART OF NEW YORK

(Pathé Exchange)

January 7, 1917 (Sunday)

Length: 5 reels

Character: Comedy-drama; Pathé Gold Rooster Play

Directors: O.A.C. Lund, W. Eugene Moore

Scenario: Agnes Christine Johnston

Cameraman: John M. Bauman

Cast: Gladys Hulette (Phoebe Lester), William Parke, Jr. (Philip Dawes, the young poet), Riley Chamberlin (Farmer Si Brown), Carey L. Hastings (Brown's wife), Robert Vaughn (Stuyvesant Owen), Ethyle Cooke (Laura), Master Gerald Badgley (young child)

Notes: 1. An expanded story by Constance Severance, based on the film, appeared in Photoplay Magazine, January 1917. 2. Some accounts gave Ethyle Cooke's role as Laurel; others as Laura. The Moving Picture World variously attributed the scenario to Agnes C. Johnston and Philip Lonergan; an article in the January 27, 1917 issue gave the release date erroneously as January 8, 1917. 3. Production of this film was underway by October 21, 1916, according to a note in The New Rochelle Pioneer of that date.

ARTICLE, The Moving Picture World, October 28, 1916:

"Oscar Lund, the Thanhouser director, is taking the final scenes for Agnes Johnston's story, Her New York, starring Gladys Hulette, and will be ready in a few days to begin working with Miss Charlotte Walker, the new Thanhouser star, in a play especially written for her by Lloyd Lonergan."

ARTICLE, (unattributed clipping in the Robinson Locke Collection), December 1916:

"Gladys Hulette, the Thanhouser star, created a pile of excitement in West Eighty-first street, New York, the other day when she chased a hen up and down the block for most of the morning. She was making a scene for Her New York, a feature by Agnes C. Johnston. Miss Hulette plays a country girl, who brings her pet hen to the city with her. The hen escapes, and Miss Hulette has to catch it. It's a tricky job to photograph a panic stricken hen, and especially is it difficult to catch it right in front of the camera. That was why it took all morning to get 100 feet of usable film."

ARTICLE, Exhibitor's Trade Review, December 30, 1916:

"Here is a picture that you can advertise with every feeling of confidence that your patrons will be well pleased. The star, Gladys Hulette, has acquired a considerable following through her recent pictures, so play up her name. For a good throwaway on this photo drama give out an imitation railroad ticket reading about as follows, 'This ticket and $.10 good for one trip on the Gladys Hulette Special to view Her New York now playing at the ____ Theatre, subject to the rules and conditions of the Pathé-Thanhouser Railroad.' Make this in the form of a strip ticket like those in use on limited trains and fill in the correct admission price, etc. Or if you care to, send out some as complimentaries. This is a good New York picture. Therefore you could use in your lobby a photograph of the Great White Way with a sign reading, 'To see this a little country girl risked everything. The story is interestingly told in Her New York with Gladys Hulette.' Newspaper and general advertising. In addition to mentioning Gladys Hulette's name tell them of the fine little baby boy who plays an important role. He is, by the way, a brother of little Helen Badgley of Thanhouser fame. Headlines are: 'Country Girl Wins Out in New York', or 'Gladys Hulette Scores Another Hit', or 'Story of Real Life Well Told', or 'Little Brown Hen Saves Girl'.

"Paper and other helps: One 1-sheet, two 3-sheets, one 6-sheet. 1-sheets are particularly good. Canvas banner, herald, three color window card, slides, electros, music plot, colored photograph, and 22 x 28 photos of star."

ARTICLE, The New Rochelle Pioneer, December 30, 1916:

"Gerald Badgley supports Gladys Hulette in Her New York. Gerald is 11 months old, and in one scene, as an abandoned baby, having to ride up the dumbwaiter of an apartment house, he is depended upon for important lip movements. His line has to rhyme with the words 'llama,' which the poet hero is wrestling with - and Gerald quite markedly articulates over and over 'mama.'"

SYNOPSIS, Exhibitors Herald, January 6, 1917:

"Philip, broken in health, goes to a farm to recuperate and there meets Phoebe. They fall in love. When Philip recovers his health he returns to the city to sell his poems, that he may bring Phoebe back with him. Phoebe sells enough eggs to buy a ticket to New York and goes to see Philip, but is led astray by Laura, a flashily dressed young woman, who takes her to Owen, a former employer of Philip. However, Phoebe finally gets to Philip and they are married. Owen helps Philip to a good position and the young couple are happy until Owen gets Philip to gamble with borrowed money. The grief-stricken country girl awakens Owen's better self and with his help the unhappiness ends."

SYNOPSIS, The Moving Picture World, January 6, 1917:

"Phoebe Lester, a little country girl, whispered to her pet hen, 'you've laid an egg for a man from New York. Ain't you proud?' And while taking breakfast to Philip, the new boarder, who came from that distant place, she gazes at him as if he has come from an unknown land. Returning to the city with a newfound love and regained health, Philip struggles to sell his poems to bring his 'egg' girl to her New York. In the meantime, Phoebe's brown hen proves to be a golden one, and her egg money buys the ticket to Philip and her wonderland. On the train, Laura, a flashily-dressed woman, meets Phoebe and, tempting her with a nice new dress, takes her to her house. There, Owen, a former employee of Philip, is fascinated by her simplicity. Such grandeur and strange 'fizzy' drinks overwhelm her, but Providence intervenes, when the little brown hen hops into the street, with Phoebe scrambling after. The big-hearted policeman finds her and takes her to Philip, and acts as 'bridesmaid' at their wedding.

"Their little home, built on much love and little food, is brightened only by the adoption of Johnny, an abandoned baby, that Philip finds on the dumbwaiter. Johnny brings good luck and Philip secures a good job through Owen, and in nicer quarters their cup of happiness seems to be full, when Owen, in furthering his ends, contrives to get Philip to gamble with borrowed money. Phoebe, convinced by trickery that Philip is unfaithful, is heartbroken and believes that love and all her New York are unreal after all. But, the yielding, grief-stricken country girl awakens Owen's better self, and with his help the unhappy household is reunited."

REVIEW, Exhibitor's Trade Review, December 30, 1916:

"A simple little story is Her New York with an equal amount of pathos and humor injected to make it stand out strongly in contrast with other film productions released upon the market today. It avoids the sensational, entirely eliminates melodramatic tendencies, but unfolds a story so natural and true to the truest principles of life that an audience will without a doubt leave the theatre with a feeling that there still exists an unending amount of good in mankind. The story does not picture New York as the cold, heartless place that has provided the foundation for plots for many stories in the past. It does not surround its people with that stone wall of selfishness that seems to be always found in previous stories, nor does it show the innocent country girl to be the catspaw, the plaything of fate to be buffeted about by every varied emotion. Instead we have a closer picture of life, depicting the trials of this little country miss on her first visit to 'her' New York, and how her soulful trust in her husband leads the two harm plotters to forsake their own wishes and desires and bring happiness once more to the little home.

"Gladys Hulette as the country girl not only acts, but she lives her part. Her work is indeed impressive. From the first to the last she never loses sight of the character she is portraying. Her farewell with the animals and her love for the chicken that provided her with the means of transportation to 'her' New York affords a certain amount of humor that will provide any amount of mirth, and at the same time will entrench Gladys Hulette more firmly in the hearts of the film fans. The rest of the cast deserves worthy mention. The quaint appeal of this picture makes it stand out as a screen presentation of value."

REVIEW by Dickson G. Watts, The Morning Telegraph, December 24, 1916:

"This picture is of a type all too infrequently filmed at present. There is nothing startling to the theme, merely that of a young wife desired by her husband's employer, who nearly succeeds in wrecking love's young dream. The appeal lies in the sympathy and a wealth of semi-humorous, semi-pathetic incidents. The writer is Agnes Johnston, author of The Shine Girl and Prudence the Pirate, and this work from her pen will not be found less entertaining than its forerunners. Fortunately, Gladys Hulette has been starred, with the support of William Parke. The two leads form a delightful combination, one which will undoubtedly become more popular with each succeeding effort. Their acting is pleasingly natural in a wholesome play full of 'heart interest.'

"Phoebe, a little country girl, comes to New York to wed a very youthful and very struggling poet. The two live in a continual dream of happiness punctured with poverty until Philip's former employer meets the young wife and deices to make her his. Under the guise of friendship, he places temptation in the husband's way, causes him to steal and at the same time poisons Phoebe's mind with insinuations about her husband's past. With the intensity of youth Philip takes his embezzlement hardly and leaves home. Phoebe, her dreams shattered, plans suicide. The two meet in the 'flat' which first sheltered them and all misunderstandings are swept aside, while the employer repents, as all good villains should, and sets the poet on the road to success. Her New York will be found a welcome relief from problem plays and the sex drama. Unfortunately there has been interpolated a scene in a house of ill repute which could easily be done away with by a few slight changes in the working script, thereby eliminating the fly from the otherwise sweet smelling ointment. In the matter of direction and appointments the film is of the usual Thanhouser standard."

REVIEW by Laurence M. Reid, Motion Picture Mail, January 6, 1917:

"Her New York is a quaint little comedy picture of big city life in which is woven fine silken cords of pathos and charm. The basic theme, the call of the city, embraces a sentiment which nestles at some time in the hearts of all who live or have lived in the hinterland. It resembles Peg o' My Heart in its leading role, and we are quite sure that Phoebe will prove as captivating and endearing on the cinema as Peg did on the stage. Gladys Hulette plays Phoebe, a girl adopted by Farmer Brown and his wife, whose life is chiefly concerned in collecting eggs and harboring desires to see New York. By selling her egg money this wish is fully gratified, aided and abetted by Philip, who is on an annual vacation from the city. He departs in a flood tide of exalted sighs, promising to send for her when the royalties of his poems are sufficient - having resigned in the meantime from a bookkeeper's desk. Phoebe, abiding by the Shavian theory that woman is the pursuer, soon follows, accompanied by her faithful money making hen.

"Philip, as tradition will have it, lives in a garret and the extent of his royalties does not indicate that his residence will soon be bettered. So love in a cottage thereupon begins, and, like familiar tales, there is no semblance of disillusionment. After a time Philip's former employer, Owen, re-engages him, but with the sinister motive of gaining the affection of the bride. Living in luxury through his supposed benefactor's good turn, the young man is unable to stand prosperity and gambles heavily, with the usual result. Here it is that Owen plays his hand, and things look dubious for our unsuspecting friends. But misunderstandings are finally and amicably settled for all concerned when Owen's conscience is awakened by the appeal of the innocent girl. Thus their interrupted love is again resumed, bringing with it a kindlier feeling for the city.

"It is a thoroughly appetizing story, revealed with a snap and spontaneity that indicates intelligent authorship. Careful direction has been given the handling of the scenes, situations and characters. Nowhere is there a loophole of mediocrity present in the production. Gladys Hulette brought to the role of Phoebe a fragile wistfulness which made her characterization particularly appealing, and William Parke, Jr., gave a good account of himself as a the youthful poet-husband. We advise all film lovers to see this picture. It will be quite worth while. Gladys Hulette, we may add, is rapidly coming to the front rank of our promising young screen stars. She has a rare screen quality - something that can only be called a celluloid charm. Miss Hulette is going far, or we miss our guess."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, January 6, 1917:

"Agnes C. Johnston is the author of this five-reel photoplay, and Gladys Hulette is the star. The result of this combination is the comedy-drama that is filled with ingenious situations of a highly diverting nature."

REVIEW by Edward Weitzel, The Moving Picture World, January 6, 1917:

"Her New York, the five-reel Pathé Gold Rooster photoplay produced by Thanhouser, with Gladys Hulette as the star, has much of the ingeniousness and most of the charm of a fairy tale. It is the story of a little country girl who runs away to the city, falls into the trap of a female white slaver, is saved through the instrumentality of a pet hen, and is married to a young chap who boldly proclaims that he is going to support her by writing poetry - and makes good. If this doesn't prove the story's close connection with tales of fairy lore, we have all been mightily deceived as to the chronic condition of the verse market, both here and abroad. Agnes C. Johnston, the author of this scenario, has woven other artless bits of fiction into the play, one incident being to supply the hero with a ready-made family by the simple expedient of having an unfortunate woman place her baby upon the young chap's dumbwaiter and sending the little fellow up as a sort of novel Christmas present. The youngster is welcomed by his new foster father and received in the same spirit by the foster father's sweetheart, when she arrives on the scene. The poet's rascally employer attempts to separate the couple by hinting of a scandal surrounding the baby's origin, but the young wife's faith in her husband foils the villain and causes him to experience a change of heart. He clears Philip's good name and secures him a job at verse-making at greatly increased rates.

"The setting forth of Miss Johnston's brainchild in cold type fails to bring out its attractive qualities. Right from the start Her New York lulls the spectator's heart, and sends to sleep and forces him to accept, and enjoy, a series of experiences that, while they lack the extravagance of Alice in Wonderland, have no firmer foundation in fact. Much of the success of the picture may be attributed to the acting of Gladys Hulette in the character of Phoebe. Although she must be aware that only simple country maidens that come to the city and land in Ziegfeld Chorus find New York such a particularly delectable plum, she enters into the spirit of her role with such hearty goodwill and belief and bestows upon it such a likeable personality and so sure a knowledge in the art of acting, the result is five reels of solid enjoyment. William Parke, Jr., exhibits equal faith in the reality of the youthful poet whose muse finds inspiration in extolling the merits of the succulent canned bean, and Riley Chamberlin as one of his authentic character studies adds to the general joy. Carey Hastings, Robert Vaughn, and Ethyle Cooke are adequate selections for the other parts."

REVIEW, The New York Dramatic Mirror, December 30, 1916: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW, Variety, January 26, 1917: This review is reprinted in the the narrative section of the present work.

REVIEW, Wid's Film and Film Folk, December 28, 1916:

"If you read the synopsis of this you may feel that it is pretty ancient stuff to hand out as a five-reel feature, but the author and director have done so well with the task of injecting little human bits of business into this that I can assure you that most any audience will consider this very pleasing entertainment. The main threads of the plot are decidedly ancient, but there are scores of delightful little touches that have a sure-fire appeal. If you remember The Shine Girl, just get it fixed in your mind that here again we get the same star and author. Director Lund, in transferring this to the screen, has succeeded perfectly in keeping all the quaint humor and pathetic little touches, and he has provided an atmosphere which helped decidedly in making all the action convincing. The scenes on the old farm were perfectly handled to seem human and natural, and the white slave and gambling incidents in the city were forced down so that they were incidental to the human conflict of emotions swaying the principals.

"The story concerned a little orphan girl reared on a farm, who dreamed and dreamed of New York. A very youthful clerk, who went to the country on a vacation, learned to love her, and finally she ran away to the city to marry him. On the train a woman picked her up and took her to a white slave resort, but she escaped, very naturally, by pursuing a pet chicken through an open window. Later, after marrying her sweetheart, there was a pathetic bit where the chicken had to be killed for dinner. The sweetheart's employer was the villain, and he tempted the young hubby to gamble in order to separate the lovers. He almost succeeded, but a chance meeting in the little flat, which had been their first home, brought them together again. Before his marriage, the boy had adopted a little tot, and this kiddie, played by the Badgley youngster, known as the Thanhouser Kidlet, walked away with many of the scenes. I want to thank the author for not finding the parents of the heroine in this, or having either of the homeless waifs throughout to be possessed of a great fortune, on the finish.

"Gladys Hulette, as the little country orphan who dreamed of 'her New York,' seemed to enter into the spirit of the part perfectly. She will win many new friends by her work in this. Unfortunately, she and William Parke, Jr., who was the hero-hubby, seemed decidedly youthful, but I presume many kids are married in their 'teens,' so that'll be passed over. Robert Vaughn, as the 'willun' [sic; villain], and Ethyle Cooke, as the 'willuness,' kept their parts human and carefully refrained from theatrical overplaying. Riley Chamberlin and Carey Hastings were good types for the old farm folk.

"The Box Office Angle: From an entertainment viewpoint, this should register perfectly anywhere. It is not a big, powerful, dramatic subject, but a little human story made pleasing by the star's personality, the presence of the toddling kid, and the human bits of business provided by the author and director. This should be particularly popular in a community theatre, and you can figure it an excellent matinee attraction on account of the kid stuff. In advertising this, be careful to stay away from the gambling and white slave incidents, because they certainly do not lift the offering. Emphasize the fact that this is the story of a little optimist, who could see only good in 'her New York,' the city she loved, and because of that optimism she triumphed over all threatened troubles. You might use lines like these: 'Do you realize what wonders optimism and love can accomplish? See Her New York, with Gladys Hulette, remembered from The Shine Girl;' 'Do you believe that the people about you are wicked or good? See what optimistic innocence did for Gladys Hulette in Her New York.' If you were successful with The Shine Girl and Prudence, the Pirate, mention them in all your advertising, announcing Miss Hulette's appearance in this."

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