His Supreme Moment (1925)

Alternate Titles

Die Versuchung der Liebe, Germany

Angst voor het Huwelijk/ Als de Liefde komt/ Het beslissende Oogenblik, Netherlands

This film is presumed lost !

The folllowing synopsis is translated from the German filmprogramme Illustrierter Film Kurier.

Having spent five lonely years in South American silver mines the young engineer John Douglas returns to New York.He goes there in order to find new financers for the exploitation of a newly discovered ore mine.- Sara Deeping, a girl of wealthy parentage, is very much in love with the sun-tanned young person, who is surrounded by a romantic air. Whatever are the dull and smug men she used to meet compared to him! By all means she tries to keep him by her side. But one day he is snatched away from her. The woman who takes him away from her is Carla King, a celebrated revue-star, whom John is admiring one evevning during a performance and whom he gets to know personally during an ensuing supper. A nocturnal travel together by car afterwards makes them sure that they are destined for each other. With a sneaking vengeance Sara realizes that her best friend is disturbing her plans to marry John. At once though she designs a plan to get John back into her arms sooner or later. Employing Mr Avon, one of her friends, she lets him have a credit that will finance all his plans immediately. But before he returns to his sphere John needs to settle his relationship with Carla.Carla cannot get herself to agree to a marriage so readily. Filled with the doubtfulness of a woman with knwoledge she resents quick decisions. Nevertheless she is prepared to follow John to his lonesome home. And if they could manage to live like brother and sister for a year,it will be time then to get into a deeper relationship. Carla abandons all the fame, glitter and riches of the capital city in order to share a future full of privation with John.

A few months in an area without the slightest comfort and the sultry climate are enough to destroy the mental and physical state of a woma like Carla. Does she regret having joined John? Yes and no. Has she come to terms with her feelings? Then she catches a calenture which causes her to be unable to leave the bed. John has also had other dreams of their time together. He believed to have found a companion in Carla with whom to share all his sorrows (and there were quite a few), all the austerities joyfully.Regarding the state of affairs right now there is no other way but to take Carla back to New York. The passion of their love didn't stand the test after all.-
In the meantime Sara has been restless. She knew where her friend Carla was living, and one day she arrives at John's place under pretence to bring him new funds. She is able to deepen the chasm between John and Carla and whereas Carla is already regretting her reproaches and lamentations because they might have hurt John's feelings, sara makes him believe that her friend's only wish was to return to New York for she is missing her successes and being a celebrity. Furthermore her love for him has died.-
Months have passed. Again John Douglas is seated in a box with Sara Deeping. He remembers their beautiful and sorrowful past during one of Carla's performances. Carla knows that she finally has lost John's affection, that there is no way back. But she still wants to support John who is again in financial troubles. She promises to get engaged with Harry Avon if he on his turn promises to give money to John'd enterprise.John regards Carla's alliance with Harry as the last consequence of their slow mutual estrangement. Carla has to make him see hr sacrifice for his sake first. Immediately  the spell between them is broken. How could they ever have tormented and tantalised each other out of love for yeasrs? Their liason is now hardened by the fire of renunciation. Sara tries to get her due from John one last time by telling him that it was her who has been financing him. A ridiculous and futile attempt to get hold of John. Charity that is not asked for has no right to demand gratefulness. John still own some property in England,he should be able to draw enough money out of it to finance a new expedition to the south. And Carla will join him because of the first and only precondition ,their love.