Lady Windermere's Fan (1916)

A woman (Irene Rooke), who abandoned her husband and infant daughter years ago for a lover (and whose lover eventually abandoned her), living in Paris decides to return to London to ask for financial assistance from the husband (Milton Rosmer) of her grown up daughter (Netta Westcott). The husband agrees on the condition she never reveal her true identity to her daughter. Meanwhile, when the wife discovers the sums her husband is paying the woman, she assumes her husband is having an affair. Directed by Fred Paul, this silent film based on the 1892 play by Oscar Wilde lacks the wit of the play. This is to be expected, of course, as the absence of Wilde's verbal banter leaves only the shell of the play, not unlike the silent films based on Shakespeare. Still, it's modestly captivating in a curio sort of way with decent acting. The version I saw had an excellent newly composed score by Nicholas Brown which was composed in 2001.