1918 film by Arthur Berthelet
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.
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.
References.
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External links.
 Media related to at Wikimedia Commons