His Forgotten Wife

Warner Baxter has been pulled out of the battle lines in the Great War. He is recuperating, but suffering because he has lost his memory. Informed he is John Rolfe, he immediately proposes to his pretty French nurse, Madge Bellamy. She accepts, and soon they are back in New York, looking for work. But there is no work, so they take jobs as an under-butler and lady's maid to Maude Wayne, who was Baxter's fiancee, and heir to his fortune after he was declared dead. Miss Wayne and Baxter's butler, Willis Marks, recognize him, but neither makes any mention of the fact until Miss Wayne torments him a bit. Then they are taken in hand by lawyer Tom Guise, who promises to get back Baxter's property. Meanwhile, Miss Wayne has drawn all the cash and negotiable securities out of the bank. Fortunately, Miss Bellamy sees this and robs her.

To further complicate this RANDOM HARVEST-style plot -- did James Hilton see this movie? -- Guise has Baxter undergo an operation which restores his memory; however, he has no memory of anything after being injured in the War, so now he doesn't remember he is married to Miss Bellamy. Fortunately, this is a 62-minute movie, and there has to be a chase, so it doesn't go through many more cycles. Baxter is stalwart. Miss Bellamy is gorgeous, with some nice portrait shots, and Miss Wayne looks a bit horse-faced.

This was restored via Kickstarter by the people at Grapevine Video, and it's in pretty good shape. There are some minor visual problems at the 28-minute and 60-minute marks, but Max Dupont's and Conrad Wells' camerawork is excellent, as is Donald Drazin's score.