Summary
A poignant, albeit darkly comedic, exploration of existential desperation, "After His Own Heart" plunges us into the precipitous decline of Thomas Wentworth Duncan, a socialite accustomed to gilded cages, now financially marooned. His opulent existence shattered by a faithless trustee, Duncan finds solace, or perhaps renewed anguish, in the arms of Sally Reeves, his erstwhile paramour. The stark realization that his diminished means cannot sustain the lavish lifestyle to which Sally is accustomed propels him into a Faustian bargain of the most corporeal kind. He accepts a quarter-million-dollar offer, only to discover its horrific caveat: his very heart is slated for transplantation. The recipient? None other than Sally's aging Uncle Judah P. Corpus, a man whose senility Dr. Spleen, the eccentric surgeon, believes can be reversed by a youthful cardiac infusion. Duncan's dawning horror intensifies with the revelation that this radical procedure has a perfect mortality rate in its sole canine trials. His frantic attempts to extricate himself from this macabre pact are thwarted by Spleen's formidable island sanitarium and its hulking guardian. Yet, fate, with a theatrical flourish, intervenes. Dr. Spleen, overcome by the sheer audacity of his impending surgical triumph, succumbs to a fatal paroxysm of excitement, leaving Duncan's vital organ mercifully intact and his ill-gotten gains surprisingly legitimate. The narrative culminates in a deliciously ironic twist: Duncan and Sally embrace marital bliss, while the oblivious Uncle Judah, convinced of his rejuvenated vigor, remains a testament to the power of self-delusion, the heart of the matter never truly addressed.
Synopsis
Socialite Thomas Wentworth Duncan reunites with his former lover, Sally Reeves, after a trustee absconds with his fortune. Realizing he cannot afford to support Sally in the manner to which she is accustomed, Duncan impulsively accepts an offer of $250,000, then discovers that he has sold his heart to Dr. Spleen, a surgeon who plans to exchange the organ with that of Sally's uncle, Judah P. Corpus, believing it will restore the old man's youth. Duncan learns that the surgery has only been attempted twice before with a pair of dogs, neither of which survived. He tries to renege on the deal, but a huge attendant prevents him from leaving the doctor's island sanitarium. Spleen dies from excitement before he can begin the operation, leaving Duncan unscathed with his newfound wealth. Duncan and Sally marry, while Uncle Judah believes the operation to have been a success.
Review Excerpt
"In the annals of early cinema, few narratives capture the whimsical yet profound anxieties of their era quite like After His Own Heart. This silent-era marvel, penned by Ben Ames Williams and Albert S. Le Vino, presents a fascinating moral quandary wrapped in a darkly comedic package. It’s a film that, despite its age, resonates with timeless themes of desperation, love, and the often-absurd lengths to which individuals will go to secure their future, or indeed, their very existence. The premise..."
