Review of The Affairs of Anatol

Checked this rare Cecil B. DeMille silent at my local library intrigued by the premise of seeing a Gloria Swanson silent movie in its entirety for the first time. Turns out she's sort of a supporting character since Anatol is actually a man played by Wallace Reid. He's Anatol, a.k.a. Tony, Spencer whose marriage to Vivian (Swanson) is constantly tested by his involvement in three other women: Emile Dixon (Wanda Hawley), Annie Elliott (Agnes Ayres), and Satan Synne (Bebe Daniels). Emile is an old school friend of Tony's who's now in the company of middle aged rich man Gordon Bronson (Theodore Roberts). Annie is the wife of country pastor Abner (Monte Blue) whose church money she unknowingly stole to buy a dress. Ms. Synne is a nightclub entertainer whose World War I veteran husband is enduring a long hospital stay. About Emile: Tony's just wasting his time trying to get her away from pearls which she loves and is too possessive with her on that front especially since he won't do the same about his wife's picture. And his breaking the furniture that HE bought! Tsk, tsk. That segment's too long anyway, though there's some amusement with Raymond Hatton as a violin teacher. About Annie: I can't believe his kissing her after saving her from a drowning which conveniently happens as his wife shows up with a doctor. And it's obviously a pre-Code movie when Annie gets to keep the stolen money with her husband none the wiser! Short enough in my book. About Satan: This was the most touching segment in the movie with Tony intending to really cheat on his wife (not completely realizing vice versa on Vivian's part) and then finding out the truth about Ms. Synne's husband's illness as he then decides to let her keep the $3000 as charity. Also, Polly Moran is briefly amusing as an orchestra leader. Also liked Elliot Dexter as Max Runyon, friend of the Spencers and Theodore Kosloff as Nazzer Singh, a hypnotist who temporarily casts Vivian under a spell. Not a great movie but it certainly has its merits and DeMille provides some great close-ups in the final segment with some wonderful color tints that took my breath away a little. How "happy" the ending is depends on one's view of how trusting the couple really is but it was satisfactory to my tastes. Worth at least a look for anyone interested in old movies. P.S. Ms. Swanson was born in the same town I was: Chicago, Ill. And the writer of the original story, Arthur Schnitzler, would also pen "Traumnovelle" which would be the source of Stanley Kubrick's final work, Eyes Wide Shut.