Is Matrimony a Failure? is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by James Cruze and written by Walter Woods based upon a play of the same name by L. Ditrichstein, which itself was an adaptation of the German play Die Thür ins Freie by Oscar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg. The film stars T. Roy Barnes, Lila Lee, Lois Wilson, Walter Hiers, ZaSu Pitts, Arthur Hoyt, and Lillian Leighton. The film was released on April 16, 1922, by Paramount Pictures. Its survival status is classified as unknown, which suggests that it is a lost film.
As summarized in a film publication, when Mrs. Rolles (Farrington) insists that she will not have Austin Bevans (Reid) as a son-in-law, he insists that she will. But when his aunt dies and leaves Austin a girl's boarding school in her will, Austin gives up his suit of Susie Rolles (Bains) and decides to run the school. Under his aunt's regime the girls studied microbes, etc., but Austin turns it into a charm school where the girls are taught dancing, fencing, and grace in general. Elsie (Lee), one of the students, immediately falls in love with Austin, but he fails to respond. She then tries to vamp him, but when Austin does not fall she tells him directly that she loves him. Elsie's uncle is very interested in the young Austin. When Mrs. Rolles hears of how well he is getting along, she tries to patch things up between Austin and her daughter Susie, and tells Elsie that the two are engaged. While Elsie is brokenhearted, in the end all turns out well for she and Austin.
Directed byJames Cruze OriginUSA GenresComedy ActorsRoscoe Arbuckle, Lila Lee, Winifred Greenwood, A. Edward Sutherland, Edwin Stevens Rating70% Based upon a summary in a film publication, Franklin Pinney (Arbuckle) is a member of the Yacht Club which is hosting a Prince at a dinner. Fearing that Franklin, who is not a blue blooded member, will commit some indiscretion, the members plan to have Kate Connelly (Greenwood), the club detective, lure him to a haunted house until after the ceremony. Tipson Blair (Dumont) has plans to kidnap the Prince and keep him prisoner at the haunted house. Kate gets Franklin to the haunted house, but a fight breaks out with the gang that is waiting for the Prince. Meanwhile, the Prince is playing hooky from the dinner and is out driving around with Peggy Bruce (Lee), whom Franklin loves. Out of curiosity they stop by the haunted house in time for the fight between Franklin and the gang. Members of the royal party arrive to save the Prince, and Franklin as the hero of the fight wins Peggy.