Marry Me

In this 1918 Christie Comedy, the narrative landscape explores the fragile architecture of Edwardian masculinity through the character of Bobby, a man whose hubristic dismissal of female agency serves as the catalyst for his own comedic undoing. Bobby, portrayed with a characteristic blend of boyish arrogance and physical nimbleness by Bobby Vernon, publicly derides the notion of a woman initiating a matrimonial proposal, viewing such an act as a subversion of the natural order. His social circle, sensing an opportunity for a sophisticated 'jeu d'esprit,' enlists Vera—a luminous Vera Steadman—to perform a counterfeit courtship. What begins as a cynical exercise in theatrical manipulation evolves into a complex psychological pivot; when a genuine rival emerges to claim Bobby’s hand under the social dispensation of the Leap Year, the artifice of Vera’s performance dissolves into a sincere realization of affection. The film functions as a kinetic exploration of the 'Leap Year' trope, utilizing the era’s penchant for role reversal to examine the burgeoning autonomy of the 'New Woman' while maintaining the slapstick velocity essential to the silent era’s short-form masterpieces.