Old Wives for New

1918 film

May 19, 1918 (1918-05-19)

Running time

60 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Old Wives for New

Old Wives for New is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the 1908 novel of the same title by David Graham Phillips.^[1]^[2]

Art direction for the film was done by Wilfred Buckland and the film's costumes were designed by Alpharetta Hoffman.^[3]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[4] disgusted by the unattractive, slovenly appearance of his wife Sophy (Ashton), Charles Murdock (Dexter) goes on a long hunting trip. He meets Juliet Raeburn (Vidor), falls in love with her, and while telling her of his love, he reveals that he is a married man. Upon his return, his wife flies into a frenzy of jealousy. To forget, he goes out with his business partner Tom Berkeley (Roberts), meets Viola Hastings (Manon), who is being provided for by Berkeley, and another woman of the cafes. Viola shoots Berkeley when she finds him in another woman's bedroom and Juliet Raeburn's name is connected to the scandal by a false report. Murdock, to protect Juliet, goes abroad with another woman. After his wife obtains a divorce, Juliet and Murdock meet in Venice, renew their friendship, and marry.

Cast

Elliott Dexter as Charles Murdock
Florence Vidor as Juliet Raeburn
Sylvia Ashton as Sophy Murdock
Wanda Hawley as Sophy in Prologue
Theodore Roberts as Tom Berkeley
Helen Jerome Eddy as Norma Murdock
Marcia Manon as Viola Hastings
Julia Faye as Jessie
J. Parks Jones as Charley Murdock
Edna Mae Cooper as Bertha
Gustav von Seyffertitz as Melville Bladen
Tully Marshall as Simcox
Lillian Leighton as Maid
Mayme Kelso as Housekeeper
Alice Terry as Saleslady (as Alice Taafe)
Noah Beery as Doctor (uncredited)
William Boyd as Extra (uncredited)
Edythe Chapman as Mrs. Berkeley (uncredited)
Raymond Hatton as Beautician (uncredited)
Lloyd Hughes as Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Ogle as Bit Role (uncredited)
Guy Oliver as Berkeley's Butler (uncredited)
Larry Steers as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Madame Sul-Te-Wan as Viola's Maid (uncredited)

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Old Wives for New was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors issued an Adults Only permit for the film and cut, in Reel 1, the intertitle "A shrewd sensualist" etc., Reel 3, the two intertitles "With a ribbon and a feather Berkeley pays his debts" and "Suppose he didn't get you the ermine?", the incident of Mrs. Murdock pointing to a place near her in bed, Reel 4, the intertitle "No, I can't forget, I'll take you only to your apartment", all scenes of young woman in man's arms on chair, Reel 5, all scenes of young woman in man's arms on chair, young woman shooting man and all scenes of her on floor after shooting, and the four intertitles "I killed him; he was a beast", "We've got to get him to his hotel", "Hushing it up", and "I won't turn you over to the police yet".^[5]

Preservation

Complete prints of Old Wives for New are held by the Academy Film Archive and the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York.^[6]

References

^ "Old Wives for New". Film Affinity. filmaffinity.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ "Progressive Silent Film List: Old Wives for New". silentera.com. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
^ "Old Wives for New". afi.com. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
^ "Reviews: Old Wives for New". Exhibitors Herald. 7 (1). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 45. June 29, 1918.
^ "Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors". Exhibitors Herald. 7 (4). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 49. July 20, 1918.
^ "American Silent Feature Film Database: Old Wives for New". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 31, 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Wives for New.

Old Wives for New at IMDb
allmovie/Old Wives for New
Phillips, David Graham (1908), Old Wives for New; a Novel, New York: D. Appleton and Company, on the Internet Archive