Men Who Have Made Love to Me is a 1918 American silent biographical film starring Mary MacLane, based on her book I, Mary MacLane (1917). It was directed by Arthur Berthelet and produced by early American filmmaker George K. Spoor.
Plot The story of six affairs of the heart, drawn from controversial feminist author Mary MacLane's 1910 syndicated article(s) by the same name, later published in book form in 1917. None of MacLane's affairs - with "the bank clerk," "the prize-fighter," "the husband of another," and so on - last, and in each of them MacLane emerges dominant. Re-enactments of the love affairs are interspersed with MacLane addressing the camera (while smoking), and talking contemplatively with her maid about the meaning and prospects of love.
Cast Mary MacLane as herself Ralph Graves as The Callow Youth Paul Harvey as The Literary Man (as R. Paul Harvey) Cliff Worman as The Younger Son Alador Prince as The Prize Fighter Clarence Derwent as The Bank Clerk Fred Tiden as The Husband of Another
Technical innovations This film represents the earliest recorded breaking of the fourth wall in serious cinema, as the enigmatic author - who portrays herself - interrupts the vignettes onscreen to address the audience directly. This film is also the first in which writer, star, narrator, and subject are unified.
Preservation status It is not known whether the film currently survives,Progressive Silent Film List: Men Who Have Made Love to Me at silentera.com and Men Who Have Made Love to Me is now thought to be a lost film.
References
External links
Mary MacLane's Silent Film Men Who Have Made Love to Me - The Mary MacLane Project