Wine of Youth

The path to marriage is probably the most important road a person can take in the journey called life. In September 1924's "Wine of Youth," the film looks at three marriage proposals within three generations of one family, the grandmother, the mother and her daughter. Adapting a Rachel Crothers' 1923 play, 'Mary the Third: a Comedy in Prologue and Three Acts,' director King Vidor examines the deliberate way Mary the Third (Eleanor Boardman) approaches matrimony, departing from the more male dominated approach in the previous two generations.

When people today think of the Roaring '20's, they think of fast cars, fast women who visibly smoke cigarettes, and, despite Prohibition, plenty of booze. Vidor stages one of the wildest Jazz Age private parties put on celluloid, complete with a 10-piece band. The contrast between the contemporary 1920s younger set's style of living versus previous generations is stark right after the "Wine of Youth's" opening credits. Vidor immediately unfolds the grandma's and ma's marriage proposals before jumping into modern times. But Mary the Third wants to be more deligent in her decision towards marriage. She tells her shocked parents she's spending a 14-day trip with two of her suitors to determine which one she likes best.

"Wine of Youth" proved to the executives at Goldwyn Pictures that Vidor was one of his most reliable directors after the corporation signed him to a contract in early 1923. Vidor's ability to adapt simple stories and present them in a crisp manner with precise continuity enabled his reputation to rise. Goldwyn execs favored literary works that were transferable to the screen. Vidor possessed the uncanny ability to select stories showcasing contemporary issues that emerged as table-talk around families' suppers.