Men Who Have Made Love to Me

Men Who Have Made Love to Me is a 1918 American silent biographical film starring Mary MacLane, based on her book I, Mary MacLane. 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 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, 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
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, and Men Who Have Made Love to Me is now thought to be a lost film.