A Wife by Proxy
The film opens in Ireland, as a dying Patrick McNairne tells his daughter Jerry to go to New York and look up Norton Burbeck, a wealthy young man whose life Patrick had saved some time earlier (the surviving print, largely complete, lacks the second page insert of a letter explaining the full background). The affable Burbeck is due to inherit his uncle’s fortune provided he’s married by November; if not, the inheritance will go to his cousin Howard Curtis. An adventuress, Beatrice Gaden, and her husband Dick are in cahoots with Curtis: Beatrice pretends to be single in order to string Norton along up to the November date, at which time Curtis will come into the money and give a share to his unscrupulous partners.
Where to watch
Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
Your rating
Your review
Cast
17 people
Mabel Taliaferro
Jerry McNairne
Also in
God's Half Acre
The Snowbird
Bob Walker
Norton Burbeck
Arthur A. Ross
John H. Collins
John B Clymer
Sally Crute
Beatrice Gaden
Also in
Blue Jeans
Blind Wives
John Collins
Fred Jones
Frederick Gaden
Also in
The Law of the North
The Last Sentence
Charles Logue
Yale Benner
Howard Curtis
Also in
The Man from Beyond
The Adventure of the Hasty Elopement
June Mathis
George D. Melville
Timothy McNairn
Also in
The Shaughraun
The Favourite for the Jamaica Cup
John H. Collins Director · Charles Logue Story John B. Clymer Story
United States release January 6, 1917 · Produced in United States
Production
Columbia Pictures
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
No dialogue
Release dates
United States · January 6, 1917
Theatrical
More from John H. Collins
Other films they directed, best known first.
If you liked A Wife by Proxy
Picks that share its genres, themes, cast and crew.
Some details come from TheTVDB.