Patch-eye Higgins
who is this guy again? I'm cornfused. Was he married to Adele?
shareHe was Adele's husband. He was a dirty cop who was about to be caught when he jumped in the river to save a woman and half way wanted to die himself. Until he came up with her purse instead and took off with the money he found inside. Once the money ran out he came back to find his wife remarried.
shareWe don't see him alive until late in the film. But the huge portrait confirms who he is.
At first I thought I had missed a scene when he shows up and we are supposed to know who he is. But it is all made clear in a few minutes.
What I don't get is why he (1st hubby) thought he had Chris by the short hairs in the first place plus how was it more advantageous for Chris to pay him blackmail money ? He (1st hubby) had more to loose I would think as he would then have to deal with his wife and alimony payments (sop back in the day) unless of course he wanted to stay married to her (nothing I heard from his mouth indicated that he wanted to).
On the other hand Chris would be able to finally get away from the wretched witch. Chris played him but he didn't know that until the trap was sprung. Why did 1st hubby think Chris would be in anyway interested - he didn't know about the life insurance money until Chris told him about it right ? Or did I miss something ?
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Because Adele and Hubby #1 never divorced, they would still be legally married if he were shown to be alive. For whatever reason, Hubby #1 thought that Chris was desperate to stay married to Adele. Hubby #1 threatened to reemerge, thus invalidating Chris' marriage (Bigamy laws dictate that you can't legally marry a second husband if you're still married to your first husband.), if Chris didn't pay him.
I have to wonder what H #1's marriage to Adele was like. I suppose it must've been decent if he thought that Chris might actually be persuaded to pay out to stay with her.