Volume I: Narrative History

Chapter 10: 1917 Early 1917 Releases

The year 1917 would see Thanhouser releases limited to feature films of five reels or more in length. Nearly all would be issued through the Pathé Exchange, Inc. The first Thanhouser film of the year, Her New York, was distributed on January 7th. Directed by O.A.C. Lund Note and Eugene Moore, the five-reel film was reviewed as follows by the The New York Dramatic Mirror:

The little heroine [Gladys Hulette as Phoebe] of this genuine and delightful play introduces us to Her New York with a contagious enthusiasm which permits us to share her dreams of the magical city which lured her from her home on the farm. It is refreshing to discover a drama which contrasts city and country life without forcing us to believe that the farm has the monopoly on all the heavenly virtues and that Manhattan is a scarlet modern Babylon, instead of the well-meaning and much-maligned metropolis that it is.

Phoebe finds that it sings to her as she lives with her poet-husband Philip and his adopted baby, and although the song is not always gay, she never loses faith in its message of hope and sympathy. The young poet and his girl bride are veritable babes in the woods in Manhattan but the Divinity that watches over all such innocents saves them from their worst mistakes and softens the hearts of the unscrupulous wretches who seek to wreck their happiness, so that we leave them living blissfully in an apartment instead of a garret with the poet writing more lucrative, if less fanciful, verse in the form of advertisement jingles for baked beans.

Gladys Hulette is irresistible in her role of Phoebe, both as the tomboy on the farm and the little bride in the city garret. William Parke does not try to make Philip a hero, but gives the role the natural boyish charm it deserves. A large share of the honors will be given to a young actor [Master Gerald Badgley] of about one year and six months (approximately) who, as the dumb-waiter orphan, propelled his plump person through the scenes with a gravity and good nature that the audience will find utterly adorable. This is essentially a play of youth, written, we are told, by a young girl for actors who seem hardly more than boy and girl, and such a theme, if properly presented, is sure of success according to no less an authority than Belasco. Exhibitors should feature the play as a romance of bread and cheese and kisses in the heart of Manhattan which, in spite of all slanderous reports to the contrary, is not so bad a place for such a romance after all. - A.G.S.

Pathé presents Gladys Hulette in HER NEW YORK (Courtesy Thanhouser Collection)

Variety commented on the same film:

Isn't it a remarkable thing what a film producing firm can do with a good scenario? Edwin Thanhouser has released for Pathé's Gold Rooster program one of the best - yes one of the very best - features ever turned out for other than a special or states rights proposition. The picture in question is Her New York, written by Agnes Johnston, whoever she may be. But whoever she is, let us hope we shall have more from her pen, and that Mr. Thanhouser will give them the same painstaking production and careful selection of a cast. Absence of any synopsis makes it impossible to give due credit to each individual member of the company supporting Gladys Hulette, but suffice it to state that it is doubtful if any of them could be improved upon. Miss Hulette contributes a characterization that should go down into film history. The tale itself is so simple that it will surely lose much in the telling of the outline, minus the breezy, daintily written captions, which are alternately comic and pathetic, with here and there a strong touch of drama. Up to the final clean-up it is faultless in construction, but as a happy ending is, perforce, essential to meet with popular approval and the fifth reel is upon us there must be a quick dart for the "clinch." If Thanhouser can turn out a few more pictures like Her New York he will rank with the best of the program producers.

Next came The Image Maker, directed by Eugene Moore and released on January 21, 1917. This was a left-over film produced in Jacksonville in the spring of 1916. Valkyrien took two roles: an ancient Egyptian girl and a modern American, Marian Bell. In the Exhibitors Herald this commentary appeared:

As a whole: only average; story: thin plot, rather confusing; star: beautiful and clever; support: good; settings: Florida; photography: excellent.

For the first two reels The Image Maker is rather confusing, due to a constant switching from present day atmosphere to that of ancient Egypt, but it finally strikes its pace and as a whole offers an entertainment equal to the average output. Valkyrien is well cast as Marian Bell, a motion picture actress and sculptor, and the supporting company is excellent. Appropriate and beautiful settings of Florida are furnished and some very convincing bits of Egypt are shown.

The story: Marian, a motion picture actress, is loved by Arden (Harris Gordon), a young man of wealth, but parental wrath and the jealousy of a motion picture magnate causes the two to be separated. Marian leaves for Egypt with a picture company. Arden follows but fails to meet Marian, due to interference of the owner of the picture company. They meet in the castle of Tsa and there see themselves the reincarnated spirits of an ancient love affair, she being the image maker for the tombs. The father of the prince orders her thrown to the crocodiles, and he meets death endeavoring to rescue her. The two stories are woven together in an ingenious manner. With a less capable cast this picture would hardly "get over," but as it stands it will provide fair entertainment for the average house. Advertise Valkyrien extensively.

The Exhibitor's Trade Review Note gave some ideas for promoting the film:

Advertising suggestions: For the lobby Egyptian trimming and decorations would be about the thing. Use any palms or tropical plants that you can secure from your local florist. On all signs have your painter use as decorations Egyptian hieroglyphics. In fact you might have signs made in this way and then use the explanation "which means in English," etc. Use the name Valkyrien on such signs and have some of them painted around a photo of her in Egyptian costume. For a stunt send a man around town in costume with an announcement in the way of an imitation parchment, the paper fastened and rolled on two round sticks, having him carry this and at intervals allow it to unroll displaying the printed matter.

Newspaper and general advertising: Mention the fact that Valkyrien was pronounced Denmark's most perfect woman and use electros of her on all printed matter. Reading matter for various uses would be "Are we reincarnated? Have you ever studied this interesting subject? The Image Maker, a Pathé feature in which Valkyrien plays the leading role - It will interest you. Now showing at the ________ Theatre." Headlines are: "All Old Egypt and Modern in Photo Drama", or "Valkyrien as an Egyptian Princess", or "Denmark's Most Beautiful Woman", or "Buried in Ancient Tomb", or "A Romance of the Nile."

Wid's Film and Film Folk, which, in can be argued, printed the most caustic and at the same time most insightful reviews of any motion picture journal of the era, commented in part: "The action throughout was melodrama, which, while it may prove fairly interesting, will never be considered convincing or gripping. Most of the time it was just plain movie stuff, and the introduction of a film company making scenes added to the theatre atmosphere which pervaded the entire offering. A number of large exterior sets were built for this production, and they looked very good at a distance. Unfortunately, the director moved too close to them very frequently, with the result that what was supposed to be portion of the old tombs of Egypt loomed up very plainly as painted canvas and compo board."