Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
Playthings of Desire Synopsis
After rich playboy and philanderer James Malvern marries successful stage actress Gloria Dawn, the newlywed couple entrain for Malverncroft, the family lodge in the Canadian wilderness, where they spend their honeymoon. When Gloria's boat is caught in the swift current above a steep waterfall, she is rescued from certain death by Pierre du Charme, a guide and also caretaker of the Malvern estate. Gloria soon discovers that Malvern is unfaithful to her, and she allows herself to fall in love with Pierre. When Malvern is found murdered, Pierre, who has followed the Malverns to New York, is charged with the crime. After a sensational trial, the innocent guide is sentenced to death, but he is saved from the electric chair when Gloria discovers the real culprit: Wheeler Johnson, a theatrical agent who had a grudge against Malvern. Pierre and Gloria make plans to be married and return together to the Canadian woods.
More Truth Than Poetry Synopsis
When Vera, the daughter of steel king Daniel Maitland, marries Blair, a young lawyer, her father cuts her off with only a small allowance. A few months later, Blair becomes famous by securing the acquittal of one of his friends who had killed his wife's lover, basing his plea on "the unwritten law." He then succumbs to the fascination of another woman. Vera discovers them in a compromising situation and shoots Blair. At her trial, her lawyer is pleading for mercy when Vera explains that she does not want mercy, but justice. She asks if there is one law for a woman and another for a man and explains that she shot her husband because he betrayed her trust. At that moment, it is revealed that the whole episode is being composed by novelist Elaine Esmond, who interrupts her story to go to the opera with her sweetheart.
"Playthings of Desire" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "More Truth Than Poetry" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
Playthings of Desire