The Magic Skin

Everett Butterfield lives with his father, playing the piano. They are almost broke. Their loyal servant, William West, spends his savings paying off their creditors. Then father dies, and his rich uncle offers him a place to live if he gives up this artistic nonsense. Butterfield turns him down. Taking West's last money, he moves to Paris, where he rooms with the family of Mabel Trunnelle, who loves him. Butterfield, however, only has eyes for dissolute Sally Crute, who wears low-cut gowns, drinks cocktails, and smokes. After Miss Trunnelle gives him all her hard-saved dowry, telling him a man left it for him, he takes it and goes to a jewelry shop to buy Miss Crute a necklace. There he sees a hide with strange writing on it. While waiting for the shopkeeper, he falls asleep. When he wakes, he can read the writing, which promises everything he desires. However, as each desire is met, the hide will shrink, and his lifespan with it.

It's based on a story by Balzac and is rather repugnant. Everyone overacts ridiculously, and behaves obnoxiously, except for West, who seems to be an idiot. It does have the cinematic virtue of not having many titles; Edison, as a production company favored that, and director Richard Ridgely seemed to think this over-the-top stop, combined with over-the-top performances, was the way to go.