''Hairpins'' is a 1920 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...

. A surviving print is held in a private collection.

Plot

Rex Rossmore (Moore) disgust at the hairpin-strewing, straggly locks of his young bride Muriel (Bennett) and her concentration upon extra-particularness in her housekeeping make it easy for him to forsake her company outside the home for that of his stenographer Effie Wainwright (Livingston). Overhearing her husband's confession of her failure as a wife to him as he makes it to his employer, she considers suicide. Making herself orderly for death, she discovers that she is beautiful in life, and conceives a plan whereby she plays an affair of her own against that of her husband and stenographer, acquaints herself with the ways of the gay world and practices them until her husband's rage brings issue to their artificial existences. This reveals to the man that his love is to the woman herself, after all, and not to her fashionable habiliments. This readjustment is certain to reflect a compromise in several things after a reconciliation is brought about after the husband discovers that another man is in love with his wife.

Cast

Enid Bennett Enid Eulalie Bennett (15 July 1893 – 14 May 1969) was an Australian silent film actress, mostly active in American film. Early life Bennett was born on 15 July 1893 in York, Western Australia, the daughter of Nellie Mary Louise (''née'' Wa ...

as Muriel Rossmore * Matt Moore as Rex Rossmore *

William Conklin William Conklin (December 25, 1872 – March 21, 1935) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 80 silent films between 1913 and 1929. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography * ''Ariz ...

as Hal Gordon *

Margaret Livingston Margaret Livingston (born Marguerite Livingston; November 25, 1895 – December 13, 1984), sometimes credited as Marguerite Livingstone or Margaret Livingstone, was an American film actress and businesswoman during the silent film era. She is ...

as Effie Wainwright * Grace Morse as Mrs. Kent * Al W. Filson as John Burman (credited as Al Filson) *

Aggie Herring Agnes Herring (February 4, 1876 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1939. She was born in San Francisco and died in Santa Monica, California.