DOES IT PAY? (1923) Silent Film Title Lobby Card Hope Hampton & Florence Short

Description

Vintage original 11x14 in. U.S. title lobby card
from the silent film melodrama
DOES IT PAY?
, released in 1923 by the Fox Film Corp. and
directed by
Charles Horan
.
John Weston (Robert T. Haines) is lured away from his wife (Florence Short) and children by Doris Clark (Hope Hampton), a youthful adventuress and employee in the Weston household. Weston divorces his wife and marries Miss Clark. One evening, he suffers a nervous breakdown when he finds his bride in her boudoir embracing her music teacher, François Chavelle (Roland Bottomley). Weston loses his memory and is taken to the first Mrs. Weston, who, with her daughter, welcomes him and promises to restore his health.
Billed as "A Drama of Modern Life," the image features a large full-length shot of the beautiful
Hope Hampton
with a look of redemption on her face while at the same time revealing her long bare leg and bare right shoulder as the "wronged woman" (
Florence Short
) looks at her angrily while pointing towards the exit. it is unrestored and in very fine- condition with a tiny bit of wear on the tip of each top corner; a 0.25 in. horizontal tear on the center of the right border; a 1/8 in. horizontal tear in the bottom fifth of the right border; a 1 in. and 0.5 in. diagonal crease on the bottom right corner with some light surface dirt; a 1.5 in. horizontal crease on the bottom border near the left corner with a 1 in. horizontal crease to the left of it; a 0.5 in. diagonal crease with light signs of wear on the bottom left corner; and a very light 2.25 in. vertical crease in the bottom of the left border. The printing is fresh and vibrant and this card looks even nicer in person.
Hope Hampton
(Mae Elizabeth Hampton) (February 19, 1897 - January 23, 1982) was an American silent motion picture actress and producer who was noted for her seemingly effortless incarnation of siren and flapper types during the 1920's. She also at one time was an aspiring opera singer. Texas-born, Philadelphia-bred beauty-contest winner Hampton was discovered by U.S. silent cinema pioneer Jules Brulatour while working as an extra for director Maurice Tourneur. She made her screen debut in 1920's
A Modern Salome
and went on to feature prominently in several Brulatour-financed films. Her last starring role was in
The Road to Reno
(1938), with Randolph Scott and Glenda Farrell. In 1923, Hampton wed her manager Brulatour and they remained married until his death in 1946. After retiring from motion pictures at the dawn of sound, Hampton turned to opera and made her debut with the Philadelphia Opera in
Manon
. The idea that she ever toured with the Metropolitan Opera is belied by a look at the company's online archives. She returned to the screen in
The Road to Reno
(1938), a film directed by her husband. Later she was known as The Duchess of Park Avenue, a leading member of New York's social set. In 1978, she was crowned Queen of the Beaux Arts Ball over which she presided with King Arthur Tracy.