A romantic comedy where everyone marries wrong, then a geyser murders someone. 1923 was WILD.
After obtaining a divorce from his second wife Emily, Roy Tappan marries Dora Carson, who has just divorced her husband. Left poor with two children, Emily marries Walter Heath, a former suitor, then discovers that she cannot live with her new husband because the divorce is not legal in her home state. Tappan and his new wife soon run out of money, each having thought the other was wealthy. His aunt promises to support him in exchange for his two children. He kidnaps the children and hides them from Emily in his aunt's home. After Emily and Walter find them, they go to Yellowstone Park, where they are considered legally married. Tappan follows and is killed after a fight with Walter when a boiling geyser throws him into the air and throws him onto the rocks below.
Direction
Rupert Hughes stages melodrama with surprising comic bite.
Acting
Hedda Hopper before she became Hollywood's feared gossip queen.
Director
Rupert Hughes
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during America's first divorce boom, when Reno became synonymous with quickie dissolutions—hence the title's ironic punch.
Hedda Hopper's small role here predates her infamous gossip column; she reportedly hated the film and most of her silent work.
US
