''Blind Wives'' is a 1920 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation and directed by Charles Brabin. The film reunites director Brabin with the stars of his previous success ''

While New York Sleeps ''While New York Sleeps'' is a 1920 American crime drama film produced by Fox Film Corporation and directed by Charles Brabin, who was the husband of actress Theda Bara. The film tells three distinct episodic stories using the same actors, Este ...

'', Marc McDermott and Estelle Taylor. The film is based on a 1914 Broadway stage play by

Edward Knoblock Edward Knoblock (born Edward Gustavus Knoblauch; 7 April 1874 – 19 July 1945) was a playwright and novelist, originally American and later a naturalised British citizen. He wrote numerous plays, often at the rate of two or three a year, of whic ...

, ''My Lady's Dress'' which starred Mary Boland. This film survives in prints held by

George Eastman House The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...

and by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

.''My Lady's Dress'', the play upon which Blind Wives is based, as produced on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre, October 10, 1914 to November 1914; IBDb.com
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Plot

As summarized in a film publication, the film shows through a dream sequence the various tragedies and hardships endured by those who make fancy dresses. Anne's passion is clothes, but her husband closes her account at Jacquelin's. In a pique she goes to sleep and dreams, while her new dress with its flower design is draped over a chair. In the first episode, a crippled girl named Annie makes the flowers, and finally sells her wonderful hair and then goes away so that she will not stand in the way of her sister's happiness. The second episode shows the unhappy Russian story of the sable which decorates the gown, with a trapper coming home to discover that his wife is unfaithful. The third story involves Annette and her husband Nicolas, a weaver who is dying. Annette tries unsuccessfully to work the loom, but is saved by the arrival of an old sweetheart Johnny, who comes to her rescue. The last episode involves a mannequin (clothing shop worker?) who fights to maintain her reputation, and eventually kills the manager of the establishment when he tries to keep her away from her dying mother. Anne then awakens, cured of her passion for clothes and happy with her husband once more.

Cast

* Marc McDermott as Husband * Estelle Taylor as Anne / Annie / Annette *Harry Southern as Johnny ''unbilled'' *Annette Bracy as The Maid * Sally Crute as Business Woman * Robert Schable as Charles

References

External links

* *
Poster
at silenthollywood.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Blind Wives 1920 films American silent feature films American films based on plays Films directed by Charles Brabin Fox Film films American black-and-white films Silent American drama films 1920 drama films 1920s American films