A Woman of Affairs

Based on the novel The Green Hat by Michael Arlen, this is a tale of the last of the Merricks, a proud old English family. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays Jeffry, a drunk with low self-esteem who hero-worships the sporty, David Furness, a friend of the family. Jeffry's mannerisms and dress sense will suggest to the careful observer that he is gay, but the original novel made it plainer.

Jeffry's sister Diana (Greta Garbo) is the main focus of the plot, as the woman of affairs. She is in love with Neville (John Gilbert). Marriage plans go awry. Diana spends more time with David and eventually marries him but he jumps from their hotel balcony. Jeffry is distraught and goes into a downward spiral of drink and depression. Complex ties of honour and blame are unwound. A tragic denouement reveals Diana as the most honourable of the lot.

Brian Robinson