Her Life and His

Philip Lonergan is the author of "Her Life and His," a five-reel photoplay produced by the Thanhouser company. The picture belongs to the propaganda order of screen dramas, the subject being prison reform. Every class of fiction that attempts to make a special plea for the betterment of any of the social evils is bound to sacrifice something of the steady development of its story; also, its intimate human side. "Her Life and His" is no exception to the rule. It starts off in a promising manner and much which follows is the logical outcome of the resolve of Mary Murdock, the heroine, to live down a prison record and to help those who are the victims of a vicious political system. The interest around her private life is sufficiently strong to maintain its position as the main thread of the plot; but perfect drama cannot be achieved if the mind of the spectator be diverted at frequent intervals by object lessons and short preachments, however much they advance the moral purpose of the play. It is the opinion of the writer that people go to the theater because they want drama, and the nearer a screen play comes to supplying this demand the better it will fulfill its mission. Narrative fiction and works that betray their didactic nature sacrifice a portion of the emotional appeal that is so great a factor in the drama's power to sway and to captivate an audience. Frederic Sullivan has directed the production of "Her Life and His" with excellent judgment, and Florence La Badie brings real feeling and a well-schooled method to her acting of the part of Mary Murdock. Ethyle Clarke is an admirable contrast to Miss La Badie, as the revengeful Mrs. Nan Travers, and H. E. Herbert, Sam Niblack and Justus D. Barnes play the leading male roles with skill. – The Moving Picture World, February 17, 1917