Summary
The chaotic domestic tableau of "Should Poker Players Marry?" unfolds with the abrupt return of Ned's long-suffering spouse, catching him unawares after a clandestine, boisterous poker soirée. Despite the presumed efficiency of his "first-class valet," the remnants of revelry — a dishevelled parlour, tell-tale signs of masculine camaraderie — betray his nocturnal transgressions. Incensed by this recurrent marital infidelity, the wife, a woman of formidable resolve, devises a draconian regimen of domestic discipline: a minefield of tacks strategically scattered across the floor and a literal leash, a rope tethered to her husband's neck, intended to curb his escapist tendencies. Yet, Ned, a man whose desire for freedom proves remarkably resilient, cunningly circumvents these elaborate deterrents, slipping away into the urban labyrinth. His wife, upon discovering his absence and the taut line of the rope, embarks on a determined pursuit, which culminates in an improbable vertical ascent, tracing the cord's path to an apartment several stories above their own. Confronted, Ned attempts a defiant posture, urging her to depart, a gambit that spectacularly backfires. Instead of retreat, she unleashes a torrent of vitriolic reprimand, a public humiliation underscored by a wagging, condemnatory finger, as the final indignity sees him medically apprehended and dispatched to an asylum, a poignant, farcical end to his marital misadventures.
Nervy Ned's wife has been away visiting Mother or something and the morning after a heavy night she returns unexpectedly. Ned has entertained the boys and despite his first-class valet was unable to clean up in time to keep the horrible truth from his wife. She determines to see that it doesn't happen again by placing tacks all over the floor and by tying a rope around her husband's neck. This does not have the desired effect, however, as Ned manages to get out undetected. When his wife wakes she misses him and, following the cord, finds him in an apartment several floors above. Ned tries to be brave and tells her to be on her way. It works all right, but against him. She gives him an awful trimming and shakes an admonishing finger at him as the doctors take him away in the ambulance to the hospital.
Review Excerpt
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The Perils of Poker and Patriarchal Predicaments: A Deep Dive into "Should Poker Players Marry?"
Ah, the silent film era! A time when physical comedy reigned supreme, when exaggerated gestures and elaborate gags spoke volumes, and when domestic discord often served as the fertile ground for cinematic hilarity. Amidst this vibrant landscape, a curious little gem from 1918 emerges: Should Poker Players Marry? The title alone, a rhetorical query laden with the promise of marital strife an..."
