Married in Name Only
Encyclopedia
Married in Name Only is a 1917
silent film
written by Ivan Abramson
and directed by Edmund Lawrence, starring Gretchen Hartman, Milton Sills
, and Marie Shotwell
.
. 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)
Pernick, Martin S. The black stork, p. 135 (1996)
1917 in film
The year 1917 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Foundation of Universum Film AG , as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.*Technicolor System 1, a two-color process, is introduced...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
written by Ivan Abramson
Ivan Abramson
Ivan Abramson was a director of American silent films active in the 1910s and 1920s.Abramson emigrated to the United States from Russia in the 1880s and soon became involved in Jewish newspaper field. In 1905 he founded an opera company. In 1914, he founded Ivan Film Productions to produce...
and directed by Edmund Lawrence, starring Gretchen Hartman, Milton Sills
Milton Sills
Milton Sills was a highly successful American stage and film actor of the early twentieth century....
, and Marie Shotwell
Marie Shotwell
Marie Shotwell was an American actress of the stage and screen.Shotwell was in motion pictures beginning in 1915 with roles in God's Witness, The Taming of Mary, Under Southern Skies, and The Tale of the C. Her film career continued until the late 1920s, including Sally of the Sawdust with W.C...
.
Plot
The plot is based on eugenicsEugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
. 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)
Pernick, Martin S. The black stork, p. 135 (1996)