Her Dangerous Path (1923)

Edna Murpy watches Charles Parrott (Charley Chase) eat dinner with his knife in HER DANGEROUS PATH (1923)

Edna Murphy and Charles Parrott (Charley Chase) (chapter one)

Edna Murpy pulls Charles Parrott (Charley Chase) from an automobile crash in HER DANGEROUS PATH (1923)

Edna Murphy and Charley Chase (chapter one)

Edna Murpy in HER DANGEROUS PATH (1923)

P Ep. 3 - Edna Murphy as the nurse (chapter 3)

Edna Murpy and Fong Hong in HER DANGEROUS PATH (1923)

P Ep. 3 - Edna Murphy and Fong Hong (chapter 3)

NOTE: This was a ten-episode serial, actually a series, as there were no cliffhanger endings. The plot consisted of Edna Murphy's character visiting an Asian fortune-teller asking him which path she should choose in her life. Each chapter was a different possible choice and outcome.  Charley Chase plays a chauffeur/bootlegger that she considers marrying in the first chapter, called "What the Sands Told". This was not a comedy.


Her Dangerous Path
Patheserial Produced by Hal Roach. Author, Hal Roach. Director, Roy Clements.

THE CAST
Corinne Grant Edna Murphy
Donald Bartlett, a wealthy young man Hayford Hobbs
Glen Harper, a chauffeur Charles Parrott
Wong, a mystic Oriental Fong Hong
Joe Henderson Earl Mohan
Tillie, his wife Laura Roessing
Mrs. Bartlett May Wallace
Miss Bartlett Ethel Ritchie

Pathe showed last week the first three chapters of its novel serial, "Her Dangerous Path." In the first place the production represents a change in the usual for of this company's chapterplay in that there are but ten episodes against the usual fifteen. Secondly, it is aimed to make each episode more or less independent of any other by employing a different cast of characters for each chapter, aside from the woman star and the Oriental who forecasts what fate has in store for the former if she takes a certain indicated step.

Edna Murphy portrays the chief character, that of Corinne Grant, whose father by a shift in fortune has been reduced from wealth to poverty, from health to illness.

In the first episode Corinne is told by the family chauffeur following the dismissal of the household staff that he is in love with her, that he is ambitious, believes he has a future and asks the impoverished girl to share his fortunes. Corinne consults the Grant's Chinese chef, who stirs the sands with his stick and we see on the screen what will happen if the girl marries the former servent. The ending is disaster.

In the second chapter "Fetters of Gold," Corinne is asked to wed a wealthy young man. On the screen we see the result when the bride is brought into the househole dominated by mother-in-law, abetted by sister-in-law-unhappiness and tragedy when the husband is likked in a mine disaster in the west.

The third chapter, "At the Brink," shows Corinne installed in a local hospital as nurse through the influence of the family doctor. The latter proves to be a follower of a gay life. When in a drunken condition "he gives instructions" to prepare a patient for an operation the nurse disobeys him and has the case transferred to a young surgeon with whom she is in love. The latter proves to be a coward in an emergency and the nurse is discharged. So the third attempt at happiness on the part of Corinne comes to naught.

If a mere male may be permitted to express an opinion as to the amount of appeal contained in this new fangled serial he will remark that undoubtedly it will be very much more thought of amoung the women, especially the younger ones. For it is a girl's story, dealing with a subject that we may easily believe is uppermost in her mind -- the great interrogation regarding marriage.

Here apparently in the guise of illustrating the prophecies of the seer we are to follow Corinne through nine unsuccessful and unhappy marriages. At the close of each number we get a flash of the problem with its surrounding circumstances, that is, the proposer and his situation, with the accompanying question, "What would you do?" So there is a fine opportunity for speculation on the part of those romantically inclined.

We decline to make a guess as to the verdict. Hal Roach is taking a chance on his ability to gauge the psychology of womankind. He may be right.  G. B

-- Exhibitor's Trade Review, July 28, 1923, p385


with Edna Murphy and Charles Parrott/Charley Chase. Directed by Roy Clements. Hal Roach/Pathé.

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This work (Her Dangerous Path (1923), by Pathé), identified by Bruce Calvert, is free of known copyright restrictions.

Last Modified February 1, 2024