Summary
Lew Tyler's Wives is a biting, often cynical examination of the fragile male ego and the collateral damage it leaves in its wake. The narrative follows Lew Tyler, a man whose misplaced sense of autonomy leads him to reject the woman he loves, Virginia Philips, simply because he cannot stomach the perceived emasculation of her father’s financial support. This act of stubborn pride triggers a domino effect of domestic misery. Cast adrift by his own hand, Lew falls into a marriage of convenience with Jessie Winkler, a woman who serves as little more than a placeholder for his unrequited longing. The film meticulously tracks Lew’s descent from a principled suitor to a negligent husband and an unfaithful neighbor, eventually finding himself embroiled in a liaison with Coleen Miles. It is only through a series of crushing personal tragedies—the death of a child and a public divorce—that Lew is forced to confront the wreckage of his choices. The final act attempts a complex reconciliation, where Lew seeks to buy back his soul through philanthropy, offering a fascinating look at the 1920s concept of moral reparation.
Synopsis
Although in love with Virginia Philips, Lew Tyler refuses to be supported by his rich prospective father-in-law, causing her to break the engagement. Thus cast off by Virginia and insulted by her father, Tyler finds distraction in Jessie Winkler, an old friend; and through the efforts of Buzzy, a business partner, Lew and Jessie marry. Their marriage is unsuccessful, and Lew, haunted by the memory of Virginia, seeks forgetfulness in a liaison with Coleen Miles, a neighbor. On the night Jessie sees him with Coleen, their child dies, and Lew remorsefully dulls his sorrow by drinking. Jessie is granted a divorce, and Virginia's father, regretting his treatment of Lew, effects a reconciliation between him and Virginia, and they are married. On the night Virginia's child is born, Jessie comes to nurse her, and Lew humbly seeks a means of reparation for his failure; he agrees to finance a hospital for poor children and thereby ensures her happiness.
