The Divorcee (1919 film)

The Divorcee is a 1919 American society drama starring Ethel Barrymore in her last silent film. The film is based on a 1907 play, Lady Frederick by young Somerset Maugham, which had starred Barrymore on Broadway.[2] The play was already quite dated when this film was made, but the actress was always comfortable with this kind of soap-operish melodramatic material. Herbert Blaché directed, and June Mathis wrote the scenario based on Maugham's play. The film was produced and distributed by the Metro Pictures company.

This article is about the 1919 silent film. For the 1930 film, see The Divorcee.
The Divorcee
Ad for the film
Directed byHerbert Blaché
Produced byMaxwell Karger
Written byJune Mathis (scenario)
Katharine Kavanaugh (scenario)
Based onLady Frederick
by W. Somerset Maugham
StarringEthel Barrymore
E. J. Ratcliffe
Holmes Herbert
CinematographyGeorge K. Hollister
Production
company
Distributed byMetro Pictures
Release date
  • January 20, 1919 (1919-01-20)
Running time
5 reels; 4,400 feet (approximately 68 minutes)[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

It is believed to be a lost film.[3][4][5] The last known surviving copy was destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire.

Plot

As described in a film magazine,[6][7] Betsy O'Hara (Barrymore) marries Lord Frederick Berolles (Ratcliffe) to please her parents but soon falls in love with another man Sir Paradise Fuldes (Herbert) whom she had initially rejected due to his poverty. Her husband discovers this and becomes verbally abusive towards her and when Sir Fuldes soon comes into fortune, she finds herself more in anguish than ever. Her situation is further worsened when her sister Kitty (Childers), while married to a man of position, has foolishly compromised herself with Robert Montgomery (Kilgour), a cad who forces her to visit his rooms on threat of disclosure. While assisting her sister in the recovery of some old love letters, she is surprised in the apartments of Montgomery and takes responsibility to save her sister's reputation. She is then divorced and her social status is destroyed.

Betsy visits Monte Carlo and while gambling, she meets the married Lord Charles Mereston (Entwistle) who falls in love with her. Despite no encouragement from Lady Frederick, he will not take no for an answer and continues to pursue her. He also happens to be the brother in law to Sir Fuldes whose sister, Lady Mereston (Gordon) appeals for his help to intervene in the matter. Initially resentful of the interference, she sends Lord Mereston about his business using an ingenious device and eventually finds her reward in the arms of Paradise.

Cast

See also

Reception

Like many American films of the time, The Divorcee was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors in reel 3 cut the holdup of a car, in reel 4 cut two holdup scenes except a direction to flash a three-foot length showing the bandit riding away, and in reel 5 cut the bandit riding away.[8]

References
  1. According to the reference How Movies Work by Bruce F. Kawin (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987, pp. 46-47), a full 1000-foot reel of film in the silent era had a maximum running time of 15 minutes. Silent films were generally projected at a "standard" speed of 16 frames per second, much slower than the 24 frames of later sound films.
  2. The Divorcee at the Internet Broadway Database
  3. The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20, published by The American Film Institute, c. 1988
  4. "Progressive Silent Film List: The Divorcee". silentera.com.
  5. The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:The Divorcee
  6. "Advertising Aids for Busy Managers: The Divorcee". Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. 39 (4): 542. Jan 25, 1919. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  7. Wietzel, Edward (Feb 8, 1919). "Critical Reviews and Comments: The Divorcee". Moving Picture World. New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company. 39 (6): 803. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
  8. "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 5 (15): 33. October 6, 1917.
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