Summary
A compelling dissection of early 20th-century marital conventions and burgeoning feminist ideals, "Experimental Marriage" plunges into the precarious agreement struck between the pragmatic lawyer Foxcroft Grey and the fiercely independent Suzanne Ercoll. Driven by Suzanne's unyielding demand for personal autonomy, the couple enters a peculiar marital pact: cohabitation strictly limited to weekends, Saturday through Monday, with the intervening weekdays affording each absolute freedom and an unspoken truce on inquiries. This delicate balance is almost immediately shattered on their inaugural Monday. Suzanne's departure is swiftly followed by Foxcroft's well-intentioned but ill-fated attempt to discreetly usher his neighbor Charlie Hamilton's morning-after companion, Dot Harrington, out of the building. The precise moment of Suzanne's unexpected return, coinciding with Dot's emergence from Foxcroft's bedroom, ignites a silent inferno of suspicion and misjudgment. Foxcroft's stoic silence, perhaps a misguided adherence to their "no questions" clause, only fuels Suzanne's burgeoning insecurity. In a retaliatory gambit born of wounded pride, Suzanne orchestrates a scenario designed to provoke jealousy, positioning herself to be discovered in a playwright's secluded bungalow. However, Foxcroft, perceptive and perhaps weary of the charade, remains unperturbed, seeing through her transparent ploy. The facade finally crumbles when, after being lauded by a feminist delegation, Suzanne is discovered by Foxcroft in profound distress, her tears revealing the emotional toll of their unconventional arrangement. This poignant moment marks the turning point, signaling her desire to abandon the experiment and embrace the solace of a more traditional, emotionally intertwined existence.
Synopsis
Because he does not want to lose feminist Suzanne Ercoll, lawyer Foxcroft Grey unhappily accepts her proposal that they marry but live together only from Saturday until Monday, leaving each free to live as he pleases the rest of the week, no questions asked. On their first Monday morning together, after Suzanne leaves Foxcroft's apartment, Foxcroft helps his upstairs neighbor Charlie Hamilton, who after an all-night party dared Dot Harrington to stay and cook breakfast, to get Dot out of the building without being seen. Suzanne returns shortly after and sees Dot coming out of Foxcroft's bedroom. When Foxcroft says nothing, Suzanne tries to make him jealous by arranging for him to find her in a playwright's bungalow, but Foxcroft sees through her scheme and remains unmoved. After a feminist delegation presents Suzanne with an award, Foxcroft finds her in tears wanting to end the arrangement, and they begin to live conventionally.
