Fugitive from Matrimony

• 1919

• Watchlist

H.B. Warner takes a break from his usual heavy dramas to star in this light comedy. Stephan Van Courtlandt (Warner) belongs to the most exclusive of society circles and is the most eligible bachelor in New York. He is also the most elusive, having traveled all over Europe in an attempt to keep any woman from tying him down. A nouveau riche family, the Riggs, moves into the mansion next to his estate, and the wife (Adele Farrington) desperately wants Van Courtlandt to marry her daughter, Barbara (Seena Owen). When Van Courtlandt unexpectedly arrives home, he interrupts an escaped convict (John Gough) who is prowling around. After hearing the con's sad story, Van Courtlandt exchanges clothes with him and sends him on his way. To evade the guards who are searching for a man in a prison uniform, Van Courtlandt crawls into the window of Barbara Riggs' bedroom. Instead of panicking, she's intrigued and wants to reform this supposed criminal. Eventually Van Courtlandt's true identity is revealed and, predictably, wedding bells sound for him and Barbara.