A war hero hides his face in shame—will love survive the unveiling?
Howard Crandall Jr., who comes from a wealthy family, has suffered a disfiguring facial injury during World War I, and at war's end stays in Paris rather than return home to his family and sweetheart Muriel looking the way he does. While in Paris he forms a secret society of men who are in a similar position. When he finally does decide to return home, his family and Muriel are at first shocked by his appearance, but they recover and try to make him feel comfortable and accepted. However, it's not before Howard begins to feel their actions are motivated more by pity than love, and when Arthur Wells, who was once Muriel's suitor, shows up one day and is greeted warmly and intimately by Muriel, Howard starts to think that his suspicions are justified.
Acting
Fritzi Ridgeway's eyes do ALL the talking.
Direction
Florey builds tension through shadow and silence.
Director
Robert Florey
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
1927 audiences were still processing WWI's 'returned soldier' crisis; disfigurement was tragically common and publicly invisible.
Director Robert Florey later escaped to Hollywood and directed Marx Brothers comedies—quite the tonal whiplash from this trauma-fest.
US
