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The Devil's Bondwoman

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The Devil's Bondwoman
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Directed byLloyd B. Carleton
Written by
Produced byUniversal Red Feather Photoplays
Starring
Distributed byUniversal
Release date
  • November 1916 (1916-November)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUSA
LanguageSilent (English intertitles

The Devil's Bondwoman is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton based on the story by F. McGrew Willis and starring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson. The movie was released on November 20, 1916, by Universal [1][2]

Background

This particular film was written by F. McGrew Willis and Walter Woods. They often combined their name into "Willis Woods." i.e., the credit for the story would be given to - "Willis Wood." In the film's original copyright entry, the names of scenarist Maie B. Havey and author Willis Woods are scratched out. The entry was replaced with the names of "Willis Woods" as the author and "Fred Myton" as the scenarist. An agreement was reached and "Fred Myton" was given credit as the prologue writer.[1]

Plot

The following synopsis appears on the American Film Institute's webpage - The Devil's Bondwoman [1]

After a prologue that takes place in Hell, young millionaire Mason Van Horton becomes involved with Doria, the vampish wife of influential businessman John Manners. When Mason falls in love with Beverly Hope, however, he rejects Doria, who, out of revenge, tells John that Mason tried to seduce her and then begs her husband to ruin him. An indignant John begins to topple Mason's financial empire but then finds his wife making love to Prince Vandloup. John, instantly realizing that she had lied about Mason and that it was she who had initiated the affair with him, denounces her. Vandloup then changes into the devil and carries Doria away with him.

- American Film Institute Synopsis

Cast

Actor Role
Dorothy Davenport Beverly Hope
Emory Johnson Mason Van Horton
Richard Morris Prince Vandloup
Adele Farrington Doria Manners
William Canfield John Manners
Miriam Shelby Aunt Barbara
Arthur Hoyt The Alchemist
C. Norman Hammond The Spirit of Fire

Production notes

The movie was filmed at Universal Studios located in Universal City, California.
During the film's development, the title was listed as - "The Devil's Die." This movie had another alternate title of "The Devil’s Bondswoman" [1] During the shooting of this film, Dorothy Davenport married name was - Mrs. Wallace Reid. After her husband's death in 1923, she started to use "Mrs. Wallace Reid" exclusively in the credits for any project she participated.[3]


In early 1916, after Emory Johnson had signed his Universal contract, Carl Laemmle of Universal Film Manufacturing Company thought he saw a potential leading man in Johnson. Laemmle sought a leading man comparable to Wally Reid. He also hoped to create a movie couple that could make sparks fly on the silver screen. Laemmle chose Johnson to be his new leading man. Laemmle chose Dorothy Davenport to generate the screen chemistry with Johnson. She was a Universal contract player who happened to be the wife of Wally Reid. Johnson and Davenport made 13 films together. The series started with the feature production of Doctor Neighbor in May 1916 and ended with another feature production, The Devil's Bondwoman, in November 1916. Over half the films were feature-length; all were dramas. Johnson and Davenport shared top billing in most. Davenport got pregnant in October 1916, and her film output took a steep nosedive at the beginning of 1917.[4]

Ultimately, Laemmle thought Johnson did not have the talent or screen presence he wanted. He wasn't going to become Universal's answer to Wally Reid. Laemmle also believed that even though the pairing with Davenport had been financially successful, the films didn't have the screen chemistry he had sought.[5][4]

Films starring Emory Johnson and Dorothy Davenport in 1916
Title Released Director Davenport role Johnson role Type Time LOC Brand Notes
Doctor Neighbor 1 May L. B. Carleton Hazel Rogers Hamilton Powers Drama Feature Lost Read Feather [6]
Her Husband's Faith 11 May L. B. Carleton Mabel Otto Richard Otto Drama Short Lost Laemmle [7]
Heartaches 18 May L. B. Carleton Virginia Payne S Jackson Hunt Drama Short Lost Laemmle [8]
Two Mothers 1 Jun L. B. Carleton Violetta Andree 2nd Husband Drama Short Lost Laemmle [9]
Her Soul's Song 15 Jun L. B. Carleton Mary Salsbury Paul Chandos Drama Short Lost Laemmle [10]
The Way of the World 3 Jul L. B. Carleton Beatrice Farley Walter Croyden Drama Feature Lost Read Feather [11]
No. 16 Martin Street 13 Jul L. B. Carleton Cleo Jacques Fournier Drama Short Lost Laemmle [12]
A Yoke of Gold 14 Aug L. B. Carleton Carmen Jose Garcia Drama Feature Lost Read Feather [13]
The Unattainable 4 Sep L. B. Carleton Bessie Gale Robert Goodman Drama Feature 1 of 5 reels Bluebird [14]
Black Friday 18 Sep L. B. Carleton Elionor Rossitor Charles Dalton Drama Feature Lost Read Feather [15]
The Human Gamble 8 Oct L. B. Carleton Flavia Hill Charles Hill Drama Short Lost Laemmle [16]
Barriers of Society 10 Oct L. B. Carleton Martha Gorham Westie Phillips Drama Feature 1 of 5 reels Read Feather [17]
The Devil's Bondwoman 11 Nov L. B. Carleton Beverly Hope Mason Van Horton Drama Feature Lost Read Feather [18]


Preservation Status

No known copies of this film survive.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Devil's Bondwoman". catalog.afi.com.
  2. ^ "The Devil's Bondwoman". www.tcm.com.
  3. ^ "Dorothy Davenport". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  4. ^ a b E.J. Fleming (July 27, 2010). Wallace Reid: The Life and Death of a Hollywood Idol. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-8266-5.
  5. ^ "Plays and Players". Exhibitors Herald. Chicago, Exhibitors Herald. June 1, 1918. p. 1050.
  6. ^ Braff 1999, p. 120.
  7. ^ Braff 1999, p. 213.
  8. ^ Braff 1999, p. 206.
  9. ^ Braff 1999, p. 518.
  10. ^ Braff 1999, p. 215.
  11. ^ The Way of the World at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  12. ^ Braff 1999, p. 349.
  13. ^ A Yoke of Gold at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  14. ^ The Unattainable at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  15. ^ Black Friday at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  16. ^ Braff 1999, p. 238.
  17. ^ Barriers of Society at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  18. ^ The Devilsbond Woman at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  19. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Devil's Bondwoman at silentera.com
  20. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Devil's Bondwoman / Lloyd B Carleton (motion picture)
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