Idle Wives (1916)

• 54%
• 1916
• Drama
• Lois Weber
• Phillips Smalley
• Lois Weber
• Phillips Smalley
• Mary MacLaren

John Wall meets his new sweetheart and takes her to the movies while Anne, his neglected wife, follows them there. Molly, disobeying her parents, meets her boyfriend at the same theater. A workingman with his wife and children, all of whom are obsessed with the sordidness of their lives, also attend the movie, and so does a dishonorable young man. They watch a film called Life's Mirror in which they see their own lives turned into dramas, complete with possible "final curtains." In one case, Molly, who refuses to listen to her parents, sees her motion picture surrogate give birth to an illegitimate child after she is abandoned by her boyfriend. In another, Anne Wall, tired of the phoniness of John's wealthy family and friends, deserts him and their children to return to the slums and do charity work for the needy. After the movie, John, sadder but wiser, leaves his sweetheart and goes home with Anne, Molly decides to apologize to her parents, the workingman's family realizes that they must look to the future and the young man promises to lead a less irresponsible life.