''What's Your Husband Doing?'' is a 1920 American silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Lloyd Ingraham Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director. Biography Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...

and written by R. Cecil Smith based upon the play of the same name by George V. Hobart. The film stars

Douglas MacLean Charles Douglas MacLean (January 10, 1890 – July 9, 1967) was an American stage and silent film actor who later worked as a producer and screenwriter in the sound era. Early life and stage career Born in Philadelphia, MacLean was educated at ...

Doris May Doris May (born Helen Garrett; October 15, 1902 – May 12, 1984), was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 29 films between 1917 and 1927, generally as a leading lady. Most of her roles were in westerns and comedies, althoug ...

Walter Hiers Walter Hiers (July 18, 1893 – February 27, 1933) was an American silent film actor. Biography Born in 1893, during his two decade-long acting career spanning from 1912 to 1932, Hiers acted in 101 films. He was a particularly prolific actor w ...

, William Buckley, Norris Johnson, and Alice Claire Elliott. The film was released on January 25, 1920, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Beatrice Ridley (May), a young wife who possesses a devoted husband, spends her leisure time dreaming up romances about her Robert (Buckley) in which he figures as a gay

Lothario Lothario is a male given name that came to suggest an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in ''The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.

and she the much wronged wife. Her suspicions become aroused when Robert receives letters each morning from the Honeysuckle Inn, a roadhouse frequented by sportsmen. These letters Robert quickly conceals with no word of explanation offered. Beatrice suspects the involvement of another woman and consults with attorneys, Widgast and Pidgeon, with a view of obtaining relief. Both of these lawyers are young men with young wives who also suffer torments of jealousy. Mrs. Widgast and Mrs. Pidgeon are on the scent for any possible infidelities on the part of their husbands. All clues lead to the Honeysuckle Inn and when all the characters meet there, there is a general clearing up of complications and ill-founded suspicions.

Cast

as John P. Widgast *

as Beatrice Ridley *

as Charley Pidgeon *William Buckley as Robert Ridley * Norris Johnson as Helen Widgast *Alice Claire Elliott as Gwendolyn Pidgeon *Alice Wilson as Sylvia Pennywise *

Margaret Livingston Margaret Livingston (born Marguerite Livingston; November 25, 1895 – December 13, 1984), sometimes credited as Marguerite Livingstone or Margaret Livingstone, was an American film actress and businesswoman during the silent film era. She is ...

as Madge Mitchell *

J. P. Lockney John P. Lockney (March 17, 1867, date of death unknown) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Partial filmography * ''The Bride of Hat ...

as Tyrus Trotman

Survival status

''What's Your Husband Doing?'' is presumed to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

with only a single incomplete reel surviving at 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 ...

.Progressive Silent Film List: ''What's Your Husband Doing?''
at silentera.com

References

External links

*

at silenthollywood.com 1920 films 1920s English-language films Silent American comedy films 1920 comedy films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Lloyd Ingraham American black-and-white films Lost American comedy films American silent feature films 1920 lost films English-language comedy films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub