His Wife's Hero

This is a Vitagraph short subject from 1917. Vitagraph, one of the original Patents Trust companies, was still doing all right through the 1920s, when all of its fellow Trust members had gone out of business. It was taken over by Warner Brothers; it kept producing films at its Brooklyn Studio until the Second World War and the Studio is still standing today. Its name was last used on some Warner Brothers cartoons about 1970.

The reason for its longevity can be seen in this film: Edward Earle has convinced wife Agnes Ayres that he is a brutal he-man who beats up gangs of thieves, but when a prize fighter moves in next door and shows up for dinner, Agnes suggests they put on the gloves -- but don't hurt him too much, Edward.

Although almost every other comedy unit would have handled this as slapstick during this period, Vitagraph was still producing comedies of manners and this one is beautifully shot, if a little stiff in its pacing, due to the formality of the titles. The story is human and amusing. While the last reel is missing -- there are signs of decomposition at the end of the existing material -- it makes a nice little movie on its own.