Love Is an Awful Thing (1922)

Because Owen Moore's biggest claim to fame is that he was Mary Pickford's husband before she fell in love with Douglas Fairbanks, his acting talents are generally overlooked. But he had a nice flare for farce, as he proves in this entertaining bit of fluff. Tony Churchill (Moore) has finally convinced Judge Griggs (Thomas Guise) that his past is squeaky clean and he is fit to marry the judge's daughter, Helen (Marjorie Daw). Just then Churchill's pal, Harold Wright (Arthur Hoyt), informs him that his old flame -- a chorus girl named Marion (Charlotte Mineau) -- is coming to town. Churchill had once made a not very sincere promise to marry her, but she plans to hold him to it. To get out of this dilemma, he convinces the wife (Alice Howell) of the building's superintendent (Snitz Edwards) to pretend she is married to Churchill. Since the super isn't aware of the arrangement, this causes some major complications; then Helen comes to believe that her fiancé is already married. She winds up waiting at the altar while Churchill dodges a process server and searches for some incriminating letters. He finally makes it to the church (though not on time) and the couple resolves the misunderstanding. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi