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Highly entertaining marital situation-morality
play of the sort Cecil B. DeMille was so adroit at, during the silent period
(he seemed to have lost his touch later on with similar bedroom
farces/battle-of-the-sexes films in the 1929 & 1930 "Dynamite" and "Madame
Satan" and wisely stuck thereafter to his other strong suits:
adventures and Biblical extravaganzas-morality tales). The title is a
bit misleading, in that the "affairs" are not affairs in the usual sense of
the word. Wallace Reid stars in the title role as the handsome, rich
husband Anatol de Witt Spencer, a chivalrous, idealistic, romantically
inclined young man who is unable to pass up any opportunity to aid young and
beautiful damsels-in-distress, much to the dismay and exasperation (not to
mention jealousy) of his glamorous wife Vivian (Gloria Swanson), and at the
expense of their marital harmony. The three "damsels" in the film
drive home the expressions "you can't tell a book by its cover" and "things
are not what they may seem," and are covered in an effective "vignette"
style fashion―Anatol's former sweetheart Emilie Dixon (Wanda Hawley) is now
a rich old man's mistress, apparently sincere but, in reality, deceptively
repentant. The scene where Anatol realizes he's been duped is a wildly
satisfying, frenetic, cathartic one as he figuratively and literally (and
how!) lets Emilie's sugar daddy "pick up the pieces"!
The second damsel is a seemingly sweet and pure country girl (Agnes Ayres)
who has despondently thrown herself into a river to drown, due to the
irreparable trouble she has caused in her marriage. She turns out to
be rather scheming and seductive when Anatol yet again takes on the role of
savior, as well as that of dupe, albeit the latter role as unwittingly as
before. The scene where Anatol and Vivian attempt to revive the
apparently half-drowned, unmoving Ayres is quite amusing―it looks as if
they're performing calisthenics on a corpse!
These two deceptive "damsels" cause Anatol to lament about the lack of
"loyalty and honesty" but, as a wise character in the film informs him,
"loyalty and honesty, like charity, begin at home," which at this point has
seriously deteriorated from neglect due to Anatol's dogged,
romantically-tinged Samaritan pursuits, when he goes off yet again to the
ostensibly venal vixen Satan Synne (Bebe Daniels), an infamous stage
star-courtesan known as "the wickedest woman in New York." This
time his intent is purely "romantic" rather than gallant; but his
anticipated rendezvous doesn't unfold as expected when Satan, unlike the
others, reveals herself to be genuinely "loyal and honest," deceptive, but
in a good way. Unlike the other two segments, this one is not comical
but poignant.
Particular praise for Wallace Reid, who is exemplary as Anatol, more than
capably embodying his character's sense of chivalry, romance, sophistication
and "goodness," but also a man who is not above being human and falling prey
to feelings of fury, stubbornness, revenge and, of course, a pretty face.
It's easy to see why he was a superstar in his day (unfortunately completely
forgotten now). He had it all―the virile boy-man good looks, the tall
strapping build, talent and, most of all, charisma and energy to spare.
A pity he died under excruciating circumstances at the young age of 32; it's
almost enough to take some enjoyment out of the film, but even knowing he
was in terrible pain and under the drugs that would help do him in when this
film was made, he still manages to be so good (not to mention
healthy-appearing) as to make any viewer think nothing was amiss.
Regarding the other performers: Wanda Hawley and Agnes Ayres are
competent in their parts, but that's it; nothing stands out about them.
Gloria Swanson gives a rather one-dimensional, unsympathetic performance
(despite what should be a sympathetic role) which, like her admittedly
attractive looks, is hard and brittle and unyielding. But the one who
steals the show is
Bebe Daniels: she impressively, movingly and
convincingly portrays a tigress that is really a pussycat without becoming
maudlin.
Other plusses include the exceptional, artfully decorated dialogue cards and
the use of color in the Satan Synne segment. It's so expertly done
that it appears nearly like Technicolor, seeming to be a film that was made
much later. And remember, the moral of the story is "Loyalty and
honesty, like charity, begin at HOME"! |
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Anatol and his wife, Vivian, come to the Green Fan
Café, where Anatol recognizes Emilie, a former school companion, with Bronson, a
wealthy rake, and persuades her to leave him. Emilie deceives him,
however, by failing to throw her diamonds into the river and, out of anger,
Anatol wrecks her apartment.
On the way to the country, Anatol saves Annie Elliot
from drowning herself after she is repudiated by her husband for stealing church
funds; Annie then steals Anatol's purse and kisses him as Vivian returns with a
doctor.
At a society gathering, Vivian is hypnotized by a
magician and Anatol, in disgust, seeks out Satan Synne, supposedly New York's
wickedest woman. He discovers, however, that Satan is actually the loving
wife of a disabled soldier in need of an operation. She obtains the money
from Anatol after he learns the truth; disgusted, he returns home to make peace
with Vivian.
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