Sunday, February 11, 2018

Why Change Your Wife 1920


     This film is a sepia tinted silent movie with dialog boards between
sections of the film.  Robert and Beth Gordon are a married couple but they seem to have little in common.  Beth thinks she needs to be prim and proper now that she is a wife.  She endeavors to improve Robert’s mind and expand his appreciation for the finer things in live.  Robert wants to spice things up and he shops at a lingerie store to buy different clothing for Beth.  He meets Sally and she works at the shop.  Robert and Sally already know each other but they haven’t seen each other in a while.  Robert has tickets to a show but Beth wants to listen to a private recital of classical music played by Theodore Radinoff.  Robert takes Sally to the show instead.  Beth is very angry when Robert comes home smelling of perfume and she files for a divorce.
      This film is part of a Cecil B. DeMille trilogy about marriage.  The other films are Old Wives for New and Don’t Change Your Husband.  Beth quickly learns she has made a mistake and her divorce was too hasty.  Robert has already married Sally from the lingerie store.  Beth misses Robert very much and she decides to change her mind and her style.  Is it too late since Robert is married to Sally?  I was surprised that this was still good even with it's age and no dialogue?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

90 min, Comedy directed by Cecil B. DeMille with Thomas Meighan, Gloria Swanson, Bebe Daniels, Theodore Kosloff, Sylvia Ashton, Clarence Geldart, Mayme Kelso, Lucien Littlefield, Edna Mae Cooper, Jane Wolfe.

Note:  Imdb 7.9 out of 10, 72% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Three Movie Buffs 3*out of 4*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 6 reviews.
Special Note:  This film was written by DeMille’s brother William.  Hopalong Cassidy star William Boyd made his film debut in this movie.  Beth has a cat and Robert has a dog, they don’t get along either?  During this time period of 1920, women received voting rights and they became workers in the place of the men called to WWI.

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