{"id":31866,"date":"2013-06-24T19:19:51","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T02:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31866"},"modified":"2020-12-28T00:54:35","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T07:54:35","slug":"foolish-wives-1922","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31866","title":{"rendered":"Foolish Wives (1922)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It is a dangerous place for strangers &#8212; so many hungry sharks lying in wait to get hold of one&#8217;s money.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Poster-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-31867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Poster-191x300.jpg 191w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Poster-81x128.jpg 81w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Poster.jpg 653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 191px) 100vw, 191px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA con-artist (Erich von Stroheim) posing as a count in Monte Carlo attempts to seduce the wealthy, neglected wife (Miss DuPont) of an American envoy (Rudolph Christians) while continuing a duplicitous affair with his jealous housemaid (Dale Fuller), and trying to bed the &#8220;half-witted&#8221; daughter (Malvina Polo) of a counterfeiter (Cesare Gravina).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Con-Artists<\/li>\n<li>Erich von Stroheim Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken Identities<\/li>\n<li>Silent Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThe production history of this extravagantly produced long-con flick by writer\/director Erich von Stroheim &#8212; whose original budget of $250K skyrocketed to over $1 million, and whose initial cut ran for no less than 6 hours &#8212; is legendary, though it was merely the first in a series of several creatively thwarted films (followed by <em>Greed<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31714\"><em>The Wedding March<\/em><\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24883\"><em>Queen Kelly<\/em><\/a>) that led to von Stroheim&#8217;s downfall as a director. As viewed in its recently restored version (running approximately 2 1\/2 hours long), it&#8217;s obvious that narrative strands are missing and\/or truncated; however, most of it coheres quite well, thanks to a relatively straightforward storyline featuring an unambiguously evil central character, played with perverse glee by von Stroheim himself (known by audiences at the time as <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31850\">&#8220;The Man You Love to Hate&#8221;<\/a>). Indeed, von Stroheim&#8217;s Count Karamzin remains one of cinema&#8217;s most dastardly protagonists &#8212; a psychopathic conman and sexual predator who lies and cheats with astonishing agility. <\/p>\n<p>In the film&#8217;s most disturbing sequence, he&#8217;s interrupted just as he&#8217;s about to rape the unconscious DuPont; for an agonizingly long stretch, we watch him sitting in a chair nearby DuPont, visibly irritated as the cabin&#8217;s recently-arrived caretakers prevent him from carrying out his plan. Later in the film, a von Stroheim-favorite &#8212; the expressively distinctive Dale Fuller, playing his love-struck, deceived mistress &#8212; becomes a key player in the story, helping to move the film towards its relatively satisfying (though terribly truncated) ending. Despite its sorry-looking physical state &#8212; much of the recent restoration remains patchy-looking at best, unfortunately &#8212;  <em>Foolish Wives<\/em> should be seen by all film fanatics as prime evidence of von Stroheim at his most unrepentantly reprehensible (as a character) and extravagant (as a director). <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fine direction by von Stroheim<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction1.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction1-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction3.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction3-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Direction3-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Dale Fuller as Maruschka<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Fuller.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Fuller.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Fuller.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Fuller-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Foolish-Wives-Fuller-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as one of von Stroheim&#8217;s earliest successes &#8212; and as a prime example of the iconoclastic director at his vilest (character-wise, that is). Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0013140\/?ref_=sr_1\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/foolishwives.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=545\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It is a dangerous place for strangers &#8212; so many hungry sharks lying in wait to get hold of one&#8217;s money.&#8221; Synopsis: A con-artist (Erich von Stroheim) posing as a count in Monte Carlo attempts to seduce the wealthy, neglected wife (Miss DuPont) of an American envoy (Rudolph Christians) while continuing a duplicitous affair with his jealous housemaid (Dale Fuller), and trying to bed the &#8220;half-witted&#8221; daughter (Malvina Polo) of a counterfeiter (Cesare Gravina). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Con-Artists&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31866\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31866"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60176,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31866\/revisions\/60176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}