What No Man Knows

This is a very tough film to watch and then review. That's because I saw a limited release on videotape produced by The Great Lakes Cinephile Society--a very small local film group working for film appreciation and preservation. It was odd, because at the beginning and end of the film, the Cinephile Society showed the organist they used to accompany the film. In addition, the film is odd in that the entire ending is missing and is summarized on a few title cards. This can't be helped, as the rest of the film is apparently still missing--something all too rare with nitrate print films. You really can't blame anyone for this--it's just the sad fate of most early motion pictures.

The movie itself concerns three people--Lowell Sherman as a rich man unfortunately married to a thieving playgirl, Dorothy Wallace as the playgirl and Clara Kimball Young as Sherman's childhood sweetheart. After Sheman is ruined by his horrid wife, he runs to the arms of Clara--who loves him but can't stand being the cause of the marital breakup. It's all pretty interesting stuff, but doesn't seem THAT interesting that it is anything much more than average. Decent--and I sure would one day LOVE to see exactly how it all ended!!