Six‐Cylinder Love

Six‐Cylinder Love (1921), a comedy by William Anthony McGuire. [Sam H. Harris Theatre, 430 perf.] Having lived beyond their means, Richard Burton ( Donald Meek) and his wife, Geraldine ( Eleanor Gordon), are facing eviction. To pay moving costs they will have to sell their new car. But they don't have to look far for a buyer as there are newlyweds next door. In no time Marilyn Sterling ( June Walker) is convinced that she wants nothing more than a new car, so her doting husband, Gilbert ( Ernest Truex), buys the Burtons' auto. Before long the Sterlings are living wildly beyond their means, and when Mr. Stapleton (Burton Churchill), Gilbert's staid boss, pays a sudden visit, his unfavorable impression of their mode of living costs Gilbert his job. Gilbert sells the car and convinces Mr. Stapleton to give him back his job. But Gilbert suddenly finds a new expense item in his ledgers: Marilyn will soon need a baby carriage. Burns Mantle noted, “Somewhat extravagant as to story, its characters are purposely exaggerated to give it a farcical trimming, and thus punctuate its proceedings with laughter. The basic dramatic situations, however, and the impelling motives that inspire its principal characters, are sincerely and convincingly human.” The Sam H. Harris production was one of the most popular comedies of its era.