''Trifling Women'' is a 1922 American silent

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by Rex Ingram. It is credited with boosting the careers of its leads,

Barbara La Marr Barbara La Marr (born Reatha Dale Watson; July 28, 1896 – January 30, 1926) was an American film actress and screenwriter who appeared in twenty-seven films during her career between 1920 and 1926. La Marr was also noted by the medi ...

and

Ramon Novarro José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...

. It has been described as Ingram's most personal film. The film is considered

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

Leon de Severac is fed up with his daughter Jacqueline, who is constantly seducing men. Hoping to discourage her from her flirtatious behavior, he tells her the story of Zareda, an attractive fortune teller who is having an affair with Ivan de Maupin. Ivan's father, the Baron, lusts after her as well and Ivan eventually grows convinced that Zareda is cheating on him. Giving her up, he leaves for war shortly after. A short period later, Zareda finds out the Baron is about to poison Marquis Ferroni. Trying to save the marquis, she switches the wine glasses and the Baron dies instead. The marquis, a powerful millionaire, is very grateful to Zareda and they soon marry. For a short period of time, Zareda is a happy woman, until the return of Ivan. Jealous, Ivan makes sure he is not giving the marquis any rest. It eventually leads to a duel, where the marquis is mortally wounded. As he is about to die, he notices his wife embracing Ivan. Realizing she is using her body to get what she wants, he uses his last seconds alive to kill them both. The movie director, Michael Powell, described the film as: "Moonlight on tiger skins and blood dripping onto white faces, while sinister apes, poison and lust kept the plot rolling."

Cast

as Jacqueline de Séverac/Zareda *

Ramón Novarro José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...

as Henri/Ivan de Maupin *

Pomeroy Cannon Pomeroy "Doc" Cannon (born Harry Roy Cannon) was an American actor who worked in Hollywood during the silent era. He was known for playing villains and tough guys. Biography Pomeroy was born in New Albany, Indiana, to Greenbury Cannon and Mary ...

as Léon de Séverac *

Edward Connelly Edward Connelly (December 30, 1859 – November 21, 1928) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Connelly had a Broadway theater career going back to the Victorian era. His Broadway credits include ''The Wild Du ...

as Baron François de Maupin *

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular ''Andy H ...

as The Marquis Ferroni *

Hughie Mack Hughie Mack (November 26, 1884 – October 13, 1927) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1910 and 1928. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was working as a mortician when he paid a casua ...

as Père Alphonse Bidondeau *Eugene Pouyet as Col. Roybet * John George as Achmet *Jess Weldon as Caesar *Bynunsky Hyman as Hassan

Production

The film is a remake of the 1917 film ''

Black Orchids ''Black Orchids'' is a Nero Wolfe double mystery by Rex Stout published in 1942 by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. Stout's first short story collection, the volume is composed of two novellas that had appeared in abridged form in '' The American Magazine ...

'', also directed by Rex Ingram. Back then, the studio thought the film was too erotic and did not encourage its release. Therefore, Ingram remade the film in 1922, making it "twice as erotic". ''Trifling Women'' starred

and

, who were reteamed from ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order ...

'' (1922), a highly successful film which was recently released. The reunion made the audience suspect they were a couple, but it was later revealed that they were no more than close friends. The role La Marr played was specially written for the actress. Shortly before the film's release, Novarro's name, which was Ramon Samaniegos, was changed to 'Novarro'.

Reception

''Trifling Women'' premiered at the Astor Theatre in New York City on October 2, 1922 and had its general release on November 6. It received mixed reviews. ''Harrison's Report'' called it "an unquestionable masterpiece". On the other hand, the reviewer for ''Variety'' felt it was a let-down compared to ''The Prisoner of Zenda'', and the ''New York Times'' called it "an impossible rigmarole".

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

saw an advance screening of the film and was especially impressed by Novarro. He offered him a contract of $2,000 a week. This would certainly have been a major career step, since his salary for ''Trifling Women'' was $125. Novarro refused, however, deciding to remain loyal to Ingram, who gave him his "big break", according to the actor. When ''Trifling Women'' became a worldwide financial success, La Marr's salary was raised to $6,500 a week. She became a worldwide superstar, only surpassed in popularity by

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

. Ingram later said that ''Trifling Women'' was the best movie he made. Although the film was criticized for not living up to its enormous budget, the director, story and actors' performances were praised. Critic

Carlos Clarens Carlos Clarens (1930–1987) was a film historian and writer on the cinema particularly noted for his sensitive, pioneering '' An Illustrated History of the Horror Film'' (1967, revised 1968). Having left Havana in his younger years, he made his mar ...

wrote of the film that it "contained enough poisoning, Satanism, and necrophilia to make it one of the commercial disasters of 1922."Carlos Clarens. ''Horror Movies: An Illustrated Survey''. London: Secker & Warburg, 1968 (expanded/revised ed from the 1967 publication by GP Putnams, New York) p. 72

Preservation

Though some production stills survive, ''Trifling Women'' is believed to be lost.

References

External links

* * {{Rex Ingram 1922 films 1922 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Rex Ingram Lost American films 1922 lost films Metro Pictures films Lost romantic drama films 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films 1920s English-language films