The Divorcee (1919 film)
The Divorce is a 1919 American society drama starring Ethel Barrymore in her last silent film. The film is based on a 1908 play, Lady Frederick by young Somerset Maugham, which had starred Barrymore on Broadway. The play was already quite dated when this film was made, but the actress was always comfortable with this kind of soapoperish melodramatic material. Herbert Blach directed, and June Mathis wrote the scenario based on Maughams play. The film was produced and distributed by the Metro Pictures company.
As described in a film magazine, Betsy OHara Barrymore marries Lord Frederick Berolles Ratcliffe to please her parents, and while now is Lady Frederick, she finds herself miserable when her husband constantly insults her after discovering that she loves another. It does not help that Sir Paradise Fuldes Herbert, the man she would have married except for his poverty, soon thereafter comes into a fortune. 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 assumes the situation to save her sisters reputation. She is then divorced, and sinks in the social scale. Lord Charles Mereston Entwistle meets her while gambling in Monte Carlo and falls in love with her. Lady Frederick does not encourage him, but he will not take no for an answer. His wife Lady Mereston Gordon appeals to her brother Sir Paradise to intervene, and while Lady Frederick resents the interference, she sends Mereston about his business using an ingenious device, and finds her reward in the arms of Paradise.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 reelcut the holdup of a car, in reelcut two holdup scenes except a direction to flash a three foot length showing the bandit riding away, and in reelcut the bandit riding away. ........
Source: Wikipedia
