The Devil's Bondwoman is a 1916 American
silent Melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
directed by
Lloyd B. Carleton
Lloyd B. Carleton ( - August 8, 1933) was an American director, producer, and actor. He was born in New York City in . Both of his parents were born in Virginia and Carleton's father, John T. Little Senior, supported the family as a clothing im ...
. The film was based on the story by
F. McGrew Willis and scenarized by
Maie B. Havey and
Fred Myton
Fred Myton (November 15, 1885 – June 6, 1955) was an American screenwriter. He wrote 168 films between 1916 and 1952, mostly low-budget "B" pictures for Poverty Row studios and independent producers. He wrote many films for Producers Rele ...
. The movie features
Dorothy Davenport
Fannie Dorothy Davenport (March 13, 1895 – October 12, 1977) was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer.
Born into a family of film performers, Davenport had her own independent career before her marriage to the film a ...
and
Emory Johnson
Alfred Emory Johnson (March 16, 1894 – April 18, 1960) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. As a teenager, he started acting in silent films. Early in his career, Carl Laemmle chose Emory to become a Universal studio leading ...
and employed the same cast seen in other Red Feather films, e.g., ''
Barriers of Society
''Barriers of Society'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. Universal based the film on the story written by Clarke Irvine and adapted for the screen by Fred Myton. The feature film stars Dorothy Davenport, Emor ...
'',''
Black Friday''.
The film has an allegorical prologue taking place in Hell and an epilogue. Wealthy banker Mason Van Horton becomes involved with socialite Doria Manners, who is married to businessman John Manners. When Mason falls in Love with another woman named Beverly Hope, he tries to end the affair with Doria. A revengeful Doria tells her husband Mason tried to seduce her and wants John to ruin Van Horton financially. An incensed John Manners arranges for one of Mason's central banks to go bankrupt but discovers his wife making Love to Prince Vandloup. John instantly realizes Doria lied about Mason while having an affair with the prince. John Manners leaves her, and Prince Vandloup changes into the Devil and carts Doria away.
The movie was released by
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
on November 20, 1916.
Plot
The film's prologue transports the moviegoers to the grottoes of Hell. Life's Creator has gathered the underworld spirits to help him create a mortal. They work non-stop and complete their creation. While the spirits admire their work, the Devil enters. Examining the Creator's mortal, Satan determines one attribute is missing. He instills the mortal with the
Love of Self
Self-love, defined as "love of self" or "regard for one's own happiness or advantage", has been conceptualized both as a basic human necessity and as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness, synonymous with amour-propre, conceitedness, ego ...
. The Devil knows pride is the most sinister of the
Seven Deadly sins
The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...
, and all other immoralities spring forth from the sin of pride.
Satan has added his last touches to the mortal and feels the "Man" is ready to navigate the road of life. The Devil chooses the easiest path for the man and sends him forth into the world. Satan returns to Hell, discovering the spirits have created another mortal. Satan declares this mortal a "Woman." The Devil adds no other attributes to the woman and sends her to follow life's pathways. Satan knows the man will take care of her downward spiral. Maniacal laughter fills the cavern–Satan knows he has done well.
Mason Van Horton is the young president of Van Horton bank, a self-made millionaire, and a ranking member of society. The bank is in an impoverished section of town. Hundreds of workers have placed their hard-earned life savings in the bank. Mason has taken a carefree approach toward the bank, and it is on the precipice of failure.
The elder John Manners is wealthy and married to his wife, Doria. She is a social vampire who seeks to raise her social standing. John Manners has assisted Mason in his ascent to the top of his business. However, he is not above taking advantage of Mason's missteps whenever they present themselves.
Doria tires of her husband's company and focuses her flirtatious talents on Mason Van Horton. She flirts and entices Mason, and he does not resist her overtures.
Beverly Hope visits her aunt, Barbara. Mason meets Beverly at a social function and falls in Love. Beverly is so sweet and virtuous that Mason reflects upon his past life. Could he have done anything differently so he could ask her to marry him?
There is a gala at the Manners' home. They have invited all the social elites. During the party, Doria snuggles up to Mason and asks him to meet her privately. Mason agrees, and after all the guests have gone, he sneaks upstairs to Doria's apartment. She is sitting on a divan, waiting for his arrival. Mason enters the room, sits on the sofa, and they embrace. He pulls back after a brief sigh and then leans forward to kiss Doria. Mason takes one last glance at Doria as their lips are about to meet. The room seems to darken around them, and he can only see the face of his beloved Beverly. He reels back in fear and stumbles to his feet. Mason rushes from the room while every fiber of his body is writhing in guilt. After all, he almost betrayed the woman he loved, but the thought of Beverly broke Doria's spell. As he leaves the room, he passes a curious John Manners.
Doria is beside herself when she cannot win the affection of Mason Van Horton. Mason's rejection of Doria triggers a vengeance response. She tells her husband; Mason had forced his way into her room and tried to have his way. An enraged Manners wants to kill Van Horton. Doria pleads with her husband not to harm him but to ruin him financially. With Manner's business acumen, it doesn't take long for him to bankrupt Van Horton's bank. The bank's investors lose every penny of their savings. Mason holds himself responsible for the failure of his bank. He commits to making total restitution. He sacrifices his entire fortune to repay the poor people that invested in his bank.
While all the other intrigues occur, Beverly falls in Love with Mason. Beverly has agreed to marry Mason and help him work his way through his plans for restitution.
Doria throws a reception at her house and invites Mason. He accepts, hoping he can find some private time with John Manners. The reception is in full swing when a strange woman shows up. She was a former Van Horton failed bank member and had lost her life savings. Doria discovers her background and orders her from the house. Instead of leaving, the woman slips upstairs to Doria's room. Once in the room, she stabs herself and falls, bleeding to the floor.
At the reception, the dinner guests gather around a table. Doria is entertaining the guests when a drop of blood falls from the ceiling. The shaken dinner guests are astonished. During the confusion in the other room, Mason and John Manners are in the library discussing business when a guest hurries in and tells them about the drops of blood.
John Manners rushes upstairs to see what happened. After assessing the situation, he returns to the library. Passing one of the upstairs rooms, he hears Doria and Prince Vandloup making Love. He enters the room, confronts the two, and condemns Doria. John Manners now recognizes how Doria had manipulated him. Manners heads downstairs and explains to his bewildered guests that Doria was behind the collapse of the Van Horton bank. Under the circumstances, Manners will help Mason make restitution. He expels Doria from the house and banishes her forever.
Mason and Beverly profess their Love for each other and get married. Doria has always had an infatuation with Prince Vandloup. The prince made Love to her at every opportunity. Because Doria failed to seduce Mason, she must now pay the Devil his due. Prince Vandloup transforms into the Devil, and Doria learns she is in the power of evil and forever the Devil's Bondwoman.
Cast
:
Development
According to the book - The Universal Story,
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.
Regarded as one of the most important o ...
(-1939) produced around 91 movies in 1916.
Lloyd B. Carleton
Lloyd B. Carleton ( - August 8, 1933) was an American director, producer, and actor. He was born in New York City in . Both of his parents were born in Virginia and Carleton's father, John T. Little Senior, supported the family as a clothing im ...
(–1933) started working for
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.
Regarded as one of the most important o ...
in the Fall of 1915. Carleton arrived with impeccable credentials, having directed some 60 films for the likes of
Thanhouser
The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, ...
,
Lubin
Lubin (; german: Lüben, szl, Lubin) is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of ...
,
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and
Selig.
Between March and December 1916, 44-year-old Lloyd Carleton directed 16 movies for Universal, starting with
The Yaqui
''The Yaqui'' is a 1916 American silent Black and white Melodrama directed by Lloyd B. Carleton and starring Hobart Bosworth, Gretchen Lederer and Emory Johnson. The film depicts Yaqui Indians entrapped by nefarious elements into enslavemen ...
and ending with
The Morals of Hilda
The Morals of Hilda is a 1916 American silent film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The melodrama is based on the story of Henry Christeen Warnack and features Gretchen Lederer, Lois Wilson and Emory Johnson.
August and Hilda were living toge ...
.
Emory Johnson
Alfred Emory Johnson (March 16, 1894 – April 18, 1960) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. As a teenager, he started acting in silent films. Early in his career, Carl Laemmle chose Emory to become a Universal studio leading ...
acted in all 16 of these films. Of Carleton's 1916 output, 11 were feature films, and the rest were two-reel shorts.
In 1916, Carleton directed all 13 films pairing Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson. This film would be the last in the 13-film series. These totals show
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.
Regarded as one of the most important o ...
was giving the Davenport-Johnson pairing one of his elite directors from the working cadre of universal directors to produce the screen chemistry Laemmle was seeking.
After completing this film, Carleton would make
The Morals of Hilda
The Morals of Hilda is a 1916 American silent film directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. The melodrama is based on the story of Henry Christeen Warnack and features Gretchen Lederer, Lois Wilson and Emory Johnson.
August and Hilda were living toge ...
and sever his connections with Universal.
Casting
Dorothy Davenport
Fannie Dorothy Davenport (March 13, 1895 – October 12, 1977) was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer.
Born into a family of film performers, Davenport had her own independent career before her marriage to the film a ...
(1895-1977) was an established star for
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
when the year-old actress played Beverly Hope. She had acted in hundreds of movies by the time she starred in this film. Most of these films were 2-reel shorts, as was the norm in Hollywood's teen years. She had been making movies since 1910. She started dating
Wally Reid when she was barely 16, and he was 20. They married in 1913. After her husband died in 1923, she used the name "Mrs. Wallace Reid" in the credits for any project she took part in.
Besides being an actress, she would eventually become a film director, producer, and writer.
Emory Johnson
Alfred Emory Johnson (March 16, 1894 – April 18, 1960) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. As a teenager, he started acting in silent films. Early in his career, Carl Laemmle chose Emory to become a Universal studio leading ...
(1894-1960) was years old when he acted in this movie as Mason Van Horton. In January 1916, Emory signed a contract with
Universal Film Manufacturing Company
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
.
Carl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.
Regarded as one of the most important o ...
of
Universal Film Manufacturing Company
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
thought he saw great potential in Johnson, so he chose him to be Universal's new leading man. Laemmle hoped Johnson would become another
Wallace Reed. A significant part of his plan was to create a movie couple that would sizzle on the silver screen. Laemmle thought Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson could make the chemistry he sought. Johnson and Davenport would complete 13 films together. They started with the successful feature production of
Doctor Neighbor
Doctor Neighbor is a 1916 American silent feature film black and white melodrama. The film was directed by Lloyd B. Carleton. It stars Hobart Bosworth and pairs Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson in leading roles.
The film explores the mora ...
in May 1916 and ended with ''The Devil's Bondwoman'' in November 1916. After completing the last movie, Laemmle thought Johnson did not have the screen presence he wanted. He decided not to renew his contract.
Johnson would make 17 movies in 1916, including six shorts and 11 feature-length Dramas. 1916 would become the second-highest movie output of his entire acting career. Emory acted in 25 films for Universal, mostly dramas with a sprinkling of comedies and westerns.
Richard Morris (1862-1924) was a year-old actor when he played Prince Vandloup. He was a character actor and former opera singer known for ''Granny (1913).'' He would eventually participate in many Johnson projects, including ,
In the Name of the Law (1922),
The Third Alarm
''The Third Alarm'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Emory Johnson. The film is based on the original story by Emilie Johnson and is set in San Francisco, California. The photoplay stars Anita Louise, James Hall (actor), James ...
(1922),
The West~Bound Limited
The West~Bound Limited is a 1923 American silent melodrama film directed by Emory Johnson. Emilie Johnson, Emory's mother, wrote both the story and screenplay. The film's cast features Ralph Lewis, Claire McDowell, Johnny Harron, and Ella H ...
(1923),
The Mailman (1923),
The Spirit of the USA
The Spirit of the USA is a 1924 American silent melodrama directed by Emory Johnson. FBO released the film in May 1924. The film's "All-Star" cast included Johnnie Walker and Mary Carr. Emilie Johnson, Johnson's mother, wrote both the story a ...
(1924) until his untimely death in 1924.
Adele Farrington
Adele Farrington (1867 – 19 December 1936) was an American actress of the silent film era.
Biography
Born Anna King in Brooklyn, New York, Farrington was a stage actress before appearing in 74 films between 1914 and 1926. She was a relatively ...
(Mrs. Hobart Bosworth) (-1936) was years old when she portrayed Doria Manners. She was also a Universal contract player appearing in 74 films between 1914 and 1926. Although she got her start in movies when she was 47 years old (1914), Universal cast her mostly in
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
leads. Many of her roles were acting alongside her husband, Hobart Bosworth, who married in 1909 and divorced in 1920. In addition to her role as an actress, she was also a music composer and writer.
Arthur Hoyt
Arthur Hoyt (March 19, 1874 – January 4, 1953) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 275 films in his 34-year film career, about a third of them silent films.
Career
Born in Georgetown, Colorado, in 1874, Hoyt ma ...
(1874-1953) was years old when he portrayed the Alchemist. He was an American film
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
actor who appeared in more than 275 films. He started seriously acting in 1916 and continued getting parts until 1947.
Screenplay
This film was written by
F. McGrew Willis (1891-1957) and Walter Woods (1881-1942). They often combined their name into "Willis Woods"; thus, the credit for the story would be given to - "Willis Wood."
The names of scenarist Maie B. Havey and author Willis Woods are scratched out in the film's original copyright entry. The office replaced the entry with the names of "Willis Woods" as the author and "Fred Myton" as the scenarist. They agreed, and "Fred Myton" was credited as the prologue writer.
Filming
The interiors were filmed in the studio complex at
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
located at 100 Universal City Plaza in
Universal City, California
Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Picture ...
.
Alternate title
During the film's development, the title was listed as - ''The Devil's Die.'' This movie had another alternate title ''The Devil's Bondswoman.''
Music
As part of Universal's in-house publication, ''The Moving Picture Weekly,'' a section was devoted to proposing musical selections for specific Universal movies. The musical selections were "Specially Selected and Compiled by M. Winkler."
Each reel of the movie had recommendations, as shown below:
: ''The Devil's Bondwoman''
: REEL I
: I. "Olympia," by Ascher, until "And then was brought forth," etc.
: 2. "Creepy Creep," by Tyler, until "Mason Van Horton," etc.
: 3. "Extase," by Ganne, until "Scene: Dancing."
: 4. "Harlequin One-Step," by Roberts, until "Scene: Interior of office."
: 5. "Alia Ballerina Valse Lenton."
The complete music recommendations for this film are located in the
Gallery
Gallery or The Gallery may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Art gallery
** Contemporary art gallery
Music
* Gallery (band), an American soft rock band of the 1970s
Albums
* ''Gallery'' (Elaiza album), 2014 album
* ''Gallery'' (Gr ...
section of this page.
Advertising
This film carried
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
's "Red Feather" brand, designating a low-budget feature film.
Universal's trade journal, ''The Moving Picture Weekly,'' contains an advertising section titled - PUTTING IT OVER. The team would give exhibitors suggestions for advertising selected movies. November 11, 1916, issue had the following advertising suggestions for this movie:
Reviews
The magazine movie critics generally panned this movie.
In the November 25, 1916 issue of the ''
Motion Picture News
The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930.
History
The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...
'', Peter Milne writes:
In the November 22, 1916 issue of ''
The New York Clipper
The ''New York Clipper'', also known as ''The Clipper'', was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a ...
'', the staff critic opines:
Preservation status
According to 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 ...
website, this film has a current status of "No holdings located in archives," thus it is presumed all copies of this film are
lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
.
Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Devil's Bondwoman''
at silentera.com
Gallery
References
External links
*
*
*List of Universal Pictures films (1912–1919)
This is a list of films produced or distributed by Universal Pictures in 1912–1919, founded in 1912 as the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is the main motion picture production and distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of t ...
*Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
*List of American films of 1916
This list of American films of 1916 is a compilation of American films released in the year 1916.
__TOC__
A–B
C–D
E–F
G–H
I–J
K–L
M–N
O–P
Q–R
S–T
U–V
W–Z
Short films
...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devil's Bondwoman
1916 lost films
1916 drama films
1916 films
American black-and-white films
American silent feature films
Associated Exhibitors films
Lost American drama films
English-language drama films
Melodrama films
Universal Pictures films
Films directed by Lloyd B. Carleton
1910s English-language films
1910s American films
Silent American drama films