A Wife's Romance (1923) Harry Garson Productions. Distributor: Metro Pictures. Producer: Samuel Zierler. Director: Thomas N. Heffron. Scenario: Frank Beresford. Camera: Charles Richardson. Cast: Clara Kimball Young, Lewis Dayton, Louise Bates Mortimer, Albert Roscoe, Lillian Adrian, Wedgewood Nowell, Arthur Hull, Robert Cauterio. 6 reels. This film is apparently LOST
| The neglected wife at her easel |  |
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This theater is showing The Pride of Palomar (1922) with A Wife's Romance as the next film. Posters for A Wife's Romance can be seen at either side of the entrance. I expanded this picture a lot, so if you click on the thumbnail and scroll (or expand and scroll) you can see details of the posters. Thanks to Richard Steele for providing this interesting photo. |
"A Wife's Romance"
Metro's Latest Release with Clara Kimball Young Should Be Generally Entertaining
Reviewed by Mary Kelly
Typical of Clara Kimball Young's most popular work, her latest Metro release makes its greatest appeal to women. As this sort of entertainment it should succeed in the majority of houses. It has a story along the desired paths of romance and is attractively staged and costumed, with Spain as a setting.
An offshoot of the popular screen theme that the neglected wife is susceptible to attentions from other men, this one makes no great pretensions as being original but follows the lines of acceptable entertainment. It is interestingly done and will afford the average feminine fan a pleasant hour. The affair with the bandit is managed in a series of fairly picturesque events from the first meeting in the park at night to the fight with the toreador in the cafe. None of it carries much realism, but this is not the purpose. It is more or less like a day dream and as such caters to the tastes of a large class of patrons.
The star is unusually attractive in this setting. Beautiful gowns and exquisite Spanish laces are a becoming asset while her performance is charmingly reserved and eminently "wifely," even in the throes of a forbidden romance. The picture has an honorable ending that will doubtless appeal, in spite of the fact that the husband's renewed interest seems a bit far-fetched. Albert Roscoe is good as the romantic bandit and the others are well chosen. Thomas Heffron has given effective direction to the scenes and clear photography adds considerably to the enjoyment.
Cast:
| Joyce Addison | Clara Kimball Young |
| John Addison | Lewis Dayton |
| Isabel De Castellar | Louise Bates Mortimer |
| Ramon | Albert Roscoe |
| Joseffa | Lillian Adrian |
| Marques de Castellar | Wedgewood Howell |
| Evan Denbigh | Arthur Hull |
| Pablo | Robert Cauterie |
Story: Joyce Addison, wife of an American attache in Madrid, looks to her painting as sole entertainment, as her husband neglects her for business. One night late, while driving, she meets and is robbed by a bandit who proves sufficiently chivalrous to see her home. She recognized in him a good subject for a painting, so persuades him to pose. This leads to a dangerous friendship and a trip to a notorious cafe where she is seen by an old friend. She sees the wisdom of giving up her bandit and, much to his unhappiness, tells him it is all impossible. Her husband overhears and determines to reform and be sweetheart as well as husband.
WIFE'S ROMANCE--Metro. Clara Kimball Young as a love-hungry wife in an improbable story. Not for the family.
A WIFE'S ROMANCE--METRO
Your opinion of this picture depends entirely on how much you enjoy Clara Kimball Young, and upon your sentiment concerning love-hungry wives with busy husbands. Judged strictly on its merits, it is not a good picture. Impossiblity piles upon impossiblity, the characters are puppets, and there is not a single reasonable motive. It is a problem play without a problem, but with a moral. The moral is: "If youcan't be good, be careful" Not a family picture.
Last revised July 7, 2007