Husbands and Lovers (1924)

For Husbands and Lovers, John M Stahl pairs devoted wife Florence Vidor with ungrateful husband Lewis Stone for a splendidly nuanced marital comedy that proves his versatility as a filmmaker. When Vidor’s hausfrau transforms into an elegant lady of leisure with an expensive makeover, the quintessentially caddish Lew Cody takes lascivious notice but Stone can only grouse about the bill. A gentle rebuke of a husband’s bad manners and a salute to a wife’s sweet revenge, Husbands and Lovers was a favorite in the trade press. “Here is a comedy-drama that fairly scintillates with humor,” said Exhibitors News, “and then when the laugh is over, salty tears rush unbidden to the eyes. Chided by her husband, James, for not putting effort into her looks, Grace goes for a surprising makeover and lets James struggle to dress himself without her help. Her new look draws James' disdain and the eye of his best friend, Rex.