Silent Sunday: Don't Change Your Husband (1919)

In the first film Gloria Swanson made with Cecil B. DeMille, a pairing that would produce six films and make Swanson one of the biggest stars of the silent screen, she goes around dressed like a peacock, swathed in Oriental scarves and headdresses. She's a longsuffering wife whose husband is a slob, and when a suave ladykiller starts sniffing around, she falls for it. But the grass is always greener, better the devil you know, etc.—these words of wisdom exist for a reason!

The DVD presentation brings up a common issue, especially when dealing with films that aren't under copyright protection anymore. It's part of Passport Video's Gloria Swanson Collection, and I'll admit that I'm happy to be able to see it at all, but I wish these companies would put a little effort into their presentation. There's no restoration to speak of, I'm convinced the "ending" we see is in fact evidence of missing footage, and, most gallingly, Passport chose to brand the picture with a "Gloria Swanson Collection" logo that never goes away; it sits there like someone spit on the screen.

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