Her Husband's Faith

According to the book - The Universal Story, Carl Laemmle (c. 1867-1939) produced around 91 feature movies in 1916.[2] Lloyd B. Carleton (c. 1872–1933) started working for Carl Laemmle in the Fall of 1915.[3] Carleton arrived with impeccable credentials, having directed some 60 films for the likes of Thanhouser, Lubin, Fox, and Selig.[4] Between March and December 1916, 44-year-old Lloyd Carleton directed 16 movies for Universal, starting with The Yaqui and ending with The Morals of Hilda. Emory Johnson acted in all 16 of these films. Of Carleton's total 1916 output, 11 were feature films, and the rest were two-reel shorts.
In 1916, Carleton directed 13 films pairing Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson. This film would be the second in the 13-film series. These totals show Carl Laemmle gave Davenport-Johnson pairing one of his elite directors from the working cadre of universal directors to produce the screen chemistry Laemmle was seeking.

• Dorothy Davenport (1895–1977) was an established star for Universal when the 21 year-old actress played Mabel Otto. 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.[5] Besides being an actress, she would eventually become a film director, producer, and writer.[6]
  
• Emory Johnson (1894–1960) was 22 years old when he acted in this movie as Richard Otto. In January 1916, Emory signed a contract with Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Carl Laemmle of Universal Film Manufacturing Company thought he saw great potential in Johnson, so he chose him to be Universal's new leading man. Laemmle's hope was Johnson would become another Wallace Reed. A major 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 create the chemistry he sought. Johnson and Davenport would complete 13 films together. They started with the successful feature production of Doctor Neighbor 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.[7][6] Johnson would make 17 movies in 1916, including 6 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.
  
• Frankie Lee (1911–1970) had made his acting debut in the 1916 Universal production of Her Greatest Story. Lee was 4 years old when he appeared in this film. This release would be his second film performance and his acting debut with Emory Johnson. Both actors would unite again at the end of 1916 in the Universal production of The Right to Be Happy. Lee would also appear in the 1922 Emory Johnson-directed picture The Third Alarm.
  Frankie was also the older brother of Davey Lee, another child actor. Frankie made his last film appearance in the 1925 production of The Golden Strain which starred Hobart Bosworth and Madge Bellamy. He appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1925.
  
• T. D. Crittenden (1878–1938) was 37 years-old when he played the heavy, Tom Willis. He appeared in 69 films between 1912 and 1924, and he made 22 movies in 1916, of which 5 were features.

Eugene De Rue (1885–1985) developed the screenplay based on a story by Paul Machette (1874–1927). Both writers were actors and directors.[8][9]

There is no published record of when filming began. An item published in the Motion Picture News on April 22, 1916, stated:

"The Lloyd B. Carleton Company has just completed the filming of "Her Husband's Faith."[10]

This announcement is consistent with the film's release on May 11, 1916.

The movie was produced in the studio complex at Universal Studios located at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, California.

Similar films are described under different titles using a cast, length, plot, producer, release date, and "Her Husband's Faith" title as a reference point.

In the June 1915 issue of Kalem Kalendar, a brief review of "Her Husband's Honor" was released by Kalem on June 7, 1915. The short film stars Henry Pemberton and Elsie McLeod. The plot involves a women's desire for adventure leads to the smuggling of diamonds.[11] The same listing can be seen on the IMDb database.[12] There is no listing of any copyright filed for this film.

In the May 13, 1916, issue of Motography listed under "Universal Programs," there is a brief review of "Her Husband's Honor." The cast, length, plot, producer, and release date are correct when measured against our reference film, except the title is incorrect.[13] The same issue of Motography also lists under the heading "Complete Record of Current Films," a correct film Length, Producer, Release Date, and Title. No Cast or plot is shown.[14]

In the May 13, 1916, issue of Moving Picture World, there is an identical listing to the Motography review, i.e., the cast, length, plot, producer, and release date are correct when measured against the reference film, except for the incorrect title of "Her Husband's Honor.".[15]

In the May 20, 1916 issue of Motography, under "Universal Programs," there is an amended listing of "Her Husband's Honor." This review shows a short film featuring Ben Wilson and Dorothy Phillips with a release date of May 18, 1916. This Rex produced film has a plot of a lawyer's wife attempting to sell valuable documents.[16] There is no listing of any copyright filed for this film.

However, we see a new listing of "A Wife at Bay." This short film stars Ben Wilson and Dorothy Phillips with a release date of May 20, 1916, by Rex Motion Picture Company (Note: Rex is one of the companies that merged with Universal in 1912). The plot involves a lawyer's wife attempting to sell valuable documents.[17] This film has a listing on the IMDb[18] and a copyright[19] This film is identical to the Motography listing of "Her Husband's Honor."

Lastly, Her Husband's Honor was a feature film released by Mutual Film on August 5, 1918, and involved a frivolous socialite entangled in shady business dealings. It starred David Powell and Edna Goodrich. There is a IMDb listing.[20] and a copyright was filed.[21]

The film was copyrighted on May 3, 1916[9][lower-alpha 1] and officially released on May 11, 1916.[14]

By 1915, feature films were becoming more the trend in Hollywood. However, Universal wasn't ready to downsize its short film business. Short films were cheaper and faster to produce than feature films. While advertising short films, Universal might include a section titled–"' The Universal Programs'" above the movie ads, espousing the advantages of continuing to show short films.[22][lower-alpha 2]

In 1916, short films were shown in conjunction with other short films to create a "diversified program" and were typically advertised only with a short synopsis. A newspaper ad[23] shows Her Husband's Faith playing along with two short comedies:

• Victor Potel starring in When a Wife Worries (1916) at IMDb.
• Frank E. McNish starring in Rupert's Rube Relation (1916) at IMDb.

In the May 13, 1916 issue of the Motion Picture News, a reviewer opines:[24]

Emory Johnson, Dorothy Davenport, and Trockwood Crittenden are the leads in this averagely strong release. Miss Davenport adds much to the picture. Lloyd B. Carleton directed.

In the June 3, 1916, issue of The Wilmington Morning Star, an article reads:[25]

Dorothy Davenport makes her first reappearance in Universal Picture's great two real hard-throbbing dramatic master picture, "Her Husband's Faith," costarring with Emery Johnson. "Her Husband's Faith" is one of the deepest emotional, dramatic gems of the entire week. There is the tremor of expectancy at different periods as you hope the differences will be settled; there is that pathos that marks the true dramatic gem all the way through the two reels, with beautiful Dorothy Davenport, more fascinating and lovable than ever and one of her strongest emotional roles.

In the June 13, 1916, issue of The Tampa Tribune, an article says:[26]

Dorothy Davenport, starring in Her Husband's Faith, gives an unusually brilliant performance as a wife with the past that confronts her after she thought it lived down. Confronted by her old lover of the underworld and her husband, she successfully holds the affections of the latter and brings a thrilling scene to a happy ending.