The Exciters (1923)

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Director:

Maurice Campbell

Writers:

Martin Brown (play)
John Colton (writer)

Release Date:

3 June 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Romance

Plot Keywords:

Melodrama | Based On Play

Cast

Bebe Daniels	...	Ronnie Rand
Antonio Moreno	...	Pierre Martel
Burr McIntosh	...	Rackham, the lawyer
Diana Allen	...	Ermintrude
Cyril Ring	...	Roger Patton
Bigelow Cooper	...	Hilary Rand
Ida Darling	...	Mrs. Rand
Jane Thomas	...	Della Vaughn
Allan Simpson	...	The Mechanician
George Backus	...	The Minister
Henry Sedley	...	Gentleman Eddie
Erville Alderson	...	Chloroform Charlie
Tom Blake	...	Flash

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation

Bebe's boo-boos

In 1921, silent-screen star Bebe Daniels was arrested for speeding, and given a brief prison sentence. Her producer Adolph Zukor turned this into a publicity stunt, with Daniels photographed mopping her cell and redecorating. Zukor then rushed into production 'The Speed Girl', a star vehicle for Daniels, cannily cashing in on the publicity. Fade in two years later, and once again Daniels appears to be trading on her speed-girl reputation ... this time in 'The Exciters'.

Daniels plays Ronnie Rand, a society girl with a reputation for fast cars and thrills. As this extremely contrived story would have it, Ronnie must marry before her twenty-first birthday in order to inherit the family fortune. Mind you, it doesn't matter *whom* she marries: she just needs to get married. So that's sorted, then.

A pack of burglars with ludicrous costumes (and bad dialogue in the inter-titles) break into Ronnie's family's mansion. The leader of the crooks is suave Pierre Martel (Antonio Moreno). Always eager for a thrill, Ronnie marries him: yes, she marries a total stranger whom she knows is a burglar. Lucky Pierre! Ronnie figures the crooks will get sent to prison soon, so she can collect her inheritance while her husband Pierre is safely in the nick.

SPOILERS COMING. After Ronnie marries Pierre, it turns out that he's actually a detective who infiltrated the gang. Mind you, he's *leading* the gang on their criminal forays ... but he's a detective, so that's all right, then. Ronnie collects her inheritance, but the marriage is valid. As her husband, Pierre feels entitled to order her about (this is 1923), and he decrees that Ronnie is going to settle down and be a homemaker. She joyously agrees. Oh, blimey!

This movie is meant to be funny, but it's just bad. The plot is deeply implausible, the motivations of the main characters ditto. I'm tempted to rate this movie zero points, but I'm prejudiced in favour of Bebe Daniels. She and her husband Ben Lyon (both American citizens) chose to remain in London during the Blitz and the postwar deprivation. So, 2 out of 10 points, for Bebe's sake.