As in the sound film, the basic story is that of a man scarred and maimed in war (Richard Barthelmess as Oliver) who wants to escape his family and so he hides away in an enchanted inn where honeymooning couples have stayed in the past. He becomes friends with the homely girl who lives nearby (May McAvoy as Laura). When his domineering sister tries to force herself back into his life, Oliver asks Laura to marry him, since his relatives are less likely to interfere in the life of a married adult. He does make it clear to her that this is a practical arrangement, although she actually loves Oliver. But then, after they are married, they notice that they are physically transformed - she is beautiful, he is whole. Is it the magic of the cottage or something else? Complications ensue.
The sound version has much more character development in spite of both films being of roughly the same length. In this silent version, you never get to see Oliver as a healthy man looking forward to life after the war, and thus the contrast. His fiancee is given little space too, and instead Oliver is running away from the domination of some mannish sister who isn't even a character in the sound version. As boorish as the sister is I'm surprised Oliver's mother and father didn't run away as well! Also, this Laura doesn't seem as gloomy as the McGuire's rendition of the character. I really don't feel her loneliness here. In fact she seems to be a somewhat joyous character who plays with the local children. And finally, Mrs. Minnett, who gives a good explanation of what has been going on as far as the transformation in the sound film, and is an important supporting character throughout, is barely present here.
It's still worthwhile viewing, especially in its restored state. And it was interesting to see McAvoy in something besides The Jazz Singer, in which she was only allowed to give puzzled looks at various points as the love interest. Apparently Vitaphone was not kind to her voice and she was out of a job by 1930. She did return to film in a series of bit parts starting in 1940.
