''Married in Name Only'' is a

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

American

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

written by

Ivan Abramson Ivan Abramson (1869 – September 15, 1934) was a director of United States, American silent films in the 1910s and 1920s.Klein, Uru (10 December 2009)Cinema in the time of war, ''Haaretz'' Abramson emigrated to the United States from the Russia ...

and directed by , starring

Gretchen Hartman Gretchen Hartman (born Grace Barrett; August 28, 1897 – January 27, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. She is credited on 67 movies, nearly all silent. Early life Hartman was born Grace Barrett in Chicago, the daughter of actress ...

Milton Sills Milton George Gustavus Sills (January 12, 1882 – September 15, 1930) was an American stage and film actor of the early twentieth century. Biography Sills was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a wealthy family. He was the son of William Henr ...

, and

Marie Shotwell Marie Shotwell (March 21, 1880 – September 18, 1934) was an American actress of the stage and screen. Biography Shotwell was in motion pictures beginning in 1915 with roles in ''God's Witness'', ''The Taming of Mary'', ''Under Southern Skies ...

Plot

The plot is based on

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

. Madeline Francis (played by Gretchen Hartman) is just about to marry Robert Worthing (played by Milton Sills) when she learns that there is insanity in his family history (per the report of Worthing's mother, played by Marie Shotwell). Hence they cannot have children lest they surely pass on the madness to their spawn. Madeline begs for the marriage to take place to avoid shame, but she is treated like a sister rather than a bride. Madeline is left to contemplate suicide, but joy returns when Worthing finally learns he was adopted and that they can procreate without fear.(11 November 1917)
Lyric offers strong play
''The Sunday Chronicle'' (Paterson, New Jersey)Langman, Larry.
American Film Cycles: The Silent Era
', pp. 213-14 (1998)Pernick, Martin S.
The Black Stork
', p. 135 (1996)

Cast

as Madeline Francis *

as Robert Worthing *

as Mrs. Worthing *

Dora Mills Adams Dora Mills Adams (October 24, 1874 – July 31, 1943) was an American film actress. She is best known for her appearance in the short film '' Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde'' as Mrs. Lanyon. Career Mills entered the New York film industry near its ...

as Mrs. Francis

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Married in Name Only'' was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors issued an Adults Only permit and cut, in Reel 5, a closeup of a couple embracing passionately in a bedroom.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0008273 1917 films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Films about eugenics 1910s American films