by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Charming Sinners was a stilted adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play The Constant Wife. Robert Miles (Clive Brook) starts the ball rolling when he falls in love with Anne-Marie Whitley (Mary Nolan), the best friend of his own wife Kathryn (Ruth Chatterton). In retaliation, Kathryn begins a flirtation with her former boyfriend Karl Kraley (William Powell). After reels and reels of verbal fencing, the status quo is re-established, and Robert and Kathryn are reunited. So dour and restrained was Clive Brook's performance that one film critic pretended to mistake him for the family butler! Charming Sinners was also filmed in several foreign-language versions.
characteristics
- Foibles Of Marriage
- Retribution
- Retaliation
- Philandering
- Philanderer
- Revenge
- Society
- Wife
- Wives
- Vigilante
- Vengeance
- Vendetta
- Old-flame
- Love-triangle
- Britain
