Manslaughter (1922)

Cecil B. DeMille’s 1922 silent drama MANSLAUGHTER briefly features what is credited to be the first erotically charged lesbian kiss in an American feature film.

MANSLAUGHTER

1922. USA.

 Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Screenplay: Jeanie MacPherson

Based on: “Manslaughter” (1921) by Alice Duer Miller

 Starring: Leatrice Joy, Thomas Meighan & Lois Wilson

For context, the film is about a young woman, Lydia Thorne (Leatrice Joy), who parties too much and accidentally hits a police officer with her car. She is put on trial for manslaughter, and prosecuted by her husband.

DeMille was using the film to preach about the dangers of the wild partying/lifestyles that were so popular in the 1920s. Ironically, he created over the top flashbacks to the wild orgies that, in his opinion, led to the fall of Ancient Rome in order to fill theatre seats. Sex sells.

Before a flashback to Rome, an intertitle reads:

“The over-civilized mad young set of wasters – to which this defendant belongs – must be STOPPED! Or they will destroy the nation – as Rome was destroyed, when Drunkenness and Pleasure drugged the Conscience of its Young!”

Scenes like this drew conservative pushback, and led to conversations about strengthening film censorship in the USA.

Fittingly, DeMille would give the censors another push with the 1932 pre-code epic THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, in which he explores the subject of lesbianism again in a seductive dance sequence.

You can find MANSLAUGHTER streaming on Kanopy (USA) and YouTube. It’s also available on DVD.