My American Wife (1922 film)

My American Wife
Film poster
Directed by	Sam Wood
Written by	Monte M. Katterjohn
Story by	Hector Turnbull
Starring	Gloria Swanson Antonio Moreno
Production company	Famous Players–Lasky
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	December 31, 1922 (1922-12-31) (United States)
Running time	6 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

My American Wife is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Gloria Swanson. The film was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures.^[1] It is not known whether the film currently survives,^[2] which suggests that it is a lost film.^[3]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[4] Manuel La Tessa (Moreno), son of a wealthy South American family, meets Natalie Chester, a young Kentucky woman whose horse has won the race at a South American track. Manuel gives a party in her honor where she is insulted by one of the guest, and Manuel knocks down the offender. The offender, whose father is a powerful figure in the country's politics, challenges Manuel to a duel but also hires a man to hide in ambush and kill his opponent. Manuel is only wounded and Natalie nurses him back to health. His mother Donna Isabella La Tassa (Chapman) disapproves of the young American woman and asks her to leave. Natalie loves Manuel and seeks to uncover the mystery of the bullet fired at him during the duel. She finally locates the attempted assassin and with numerous bribes gets him to appear against the man who hired him to do it. This ruins the chance of the man from being elected a senator, and Manuel takes his seat. He tells all that he shall strive to do his best with the help of his American wife.

Cast

• Gloria Swanson as Natalie Chester
• Antonio Moreno as Manuel La Tessa
• Josef Swickard as Don Fernando DeContas
• Eric Mayne as Carlos DeGrossa
• Gino Corrado as Pedro DeGrossa
• Edythe Chapman as Donna Isabella La Tassa
• Aileen Pringle as Hortensia deVereta
• Walter Long as Gomez
• Frank Butler as Horace Beresford
• Jacques D'Auray as Gaston Navarre
• Loyal Underwood as Danny O'Hare
• Ellen Drew as Party Guest
• Mary Land as Maid
• Mervyn LeRoy (uncredited extra)

References

1. White Munden, Kenneth, ed. (1988). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced In the United States, Part 2. R. R. Bowker. p. 530. ISBN 0-520-06301-5.
2. Progressive Silent Film List: My American Wife at silentera.com
3. "My American Wife". American Silent Feature Film Survival Database. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
4. "My American Wife: A Sam Wood Production". Exhibitor's Trade Review. 13 (7). East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Exhibitor's Trade Review, Inc.: 376 January 13, 1923. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

• My American Wife at IMDb
• My American Wife at AllMovie