His Better Self (II) (1913) User Reviews

The outcome seems too simple to be foreseen

[deickemeyer · 6 October 2017]

In none of Arthur Johnson's pictures have we ever seen anything that was coarse or vulgar and we want to commend again the delicacy with which, in this picture, he handles a situation dealing with the border land between love and its darker counterpart. Of course, the author, George Terwilliger, deserves credit, too. The producer, in the role of a man of easy morals, has met a village girl (Lottie Briscoe), whom he has taken home to live with him without the ring. The girl becomes disgusted and leaves him, is found and protected by a charitable woman (Florence Hackett). It was necessary to bring the two together again and the author has stalked his climax like a sportsman. There is a little group of scenes at Florence's that run into each other as naturally as possible. The position of the girl is peculiar and we are made to forget its improbability by the fact that the author has recognized that this is so clearly, and implied it in his stage business. The outcome seems too simple to be foreseen, but is effective. There are some lovely sets and pictures, clearly photographed. - The Moving Picture World, July 26, 1913