A Wife by Proxy (1917)
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.
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Top billed cast
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Robert WalkerNorton Burbeck
Sally CruteBeatrice GadenFred JonesFrederick GadenYale BennerHoward CurtisGeorge D. MelvilleTimothy McNairnRicca AllenScraggs (housekeeper)Jerome N. WilsonGuyler (Burbeck's lawyer)Edward MackFlynn (the butler)Movie DNA
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Frequently asked questions about A Wife by Proxy
What is A Wife by Proxy about?
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.
How long is A Wife by Proxy?
A Wife by Proxy has a runtime of 50 minutes.