The Sins of Love

The dramatic story of a successful rural actor whose life is destroyed by a theater engagement in the big city and by an overpowering love for a much younger wife, also an actor. As the film is silent, there was no problem casting international stars: The four main roles were given to a Czech, an Italian, a German, and a Frenchman. Marcella Albani (1899–1959), who shot over 50 films in her native Italy and abroad, plays the beautiful Soňa. With the advent of talkies her popularity dropped off and she turned to writing novels. After playing the lead, actor and director Josef Rovenský (1894–1937) began fielding offers to portray psychologically demanding characters in Germany. As a director he will be remembered for the lyrical Ecstasy of Young Love and for a quality adaptation of the play Maryša. Cast as the manager, France’s Gaston Jacquet (1883–1970) appeared in 90 movies. German Walter Rilla (1894–1980) started out as a journalist and critic but his intriguing face eventually brought him acting roles. He and his Jewish wife left their homeland for Great Britain in 1933 where he acquired citizenship and often found himself playing dubious characters in anti-Nazi dramas.