One of the naughtiest plays seen in some time came to light when “Midsummer Madness” appeared at a Los Angeles picture house. It came just in the midst of a campaign for picture censorship. This Midsummer Madness play would better have been called a Midwinter Nightmare or “The Passion Play.” William De Mille produced it.
The picture is supposed to teach a lesson to husbands who work too much and fail to properly Romeo their wives. Cutting out what it is supposed to teach, it was produced for the purpose of getting the money by showing two young married people—not married to one another—deciding that they would have a grand time in a lonely cabin.
It chanced that just as the supreme sacrifice was to be made, the lady looked up and saw her husband’s picture on the wall. This broke up the meeting and nothing much happened. Just how the lady chanced to open her eyes cannot be explained, as one of the local newspapers has been printing a series of articles to the effect that when women are being kissed they keep their eyes tightly glued.
The newspapers unanimously proclaimed this a great play, teaching moral lessons. The film ends “happily,” of course, with the wronged husband satisfied that he hasn’t been cheated beyond a pardonable degree.
Many people may have wondered what became of a girl who several years ago was probably the most noted of the film comediennes. She didn’t seem ever to be the same following an episode between herself and one of the big producers, a man nationally known.
The story was never published, but a penitentiary term stared this big gun in the face had the girl died. It seems that the producer had a well oiled case on her, but became enraged one night when, upon visiting her home, he discovered another man had made considerable inroads, so far as appearances went.
The best dope—and the newspaper folk knew of it—is to the effect that the famous producer dragged the girl around by the hair and gave her such a mauling that she was in bad physical condition for some time. The story goes that the girl’s sister was given a substantial bonus to make herself scarce, but remained in town, vowing that if her sister died she would expose the whole mess.
The man whom the producer caught with the girl comedienne was married. This would have added to the complications. Fortunately for everyone concerned, the girl survived, though it is said her health never has been so good. The repentant producer treated her handsomely in a financial way, but she has never risen high in pictures since and apparently has left the films for good.