The Make-Believe Wife

Not to be confused with Pretend Wife.

The Make-Believe Wife is a lost^[1] 1918 American silent comedy film starring Billie Burke and directed by John S. Robertson. Based on an original story for the screen, it was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures.^[2][3]

The Make-Believe Wife
Still with David Powell and Billie Burke
Directed by	John S. Robertson
Written by	Edward Childs Carpenter (screen story) Adrian Gil-Spear (scenario)
Produced by	Adolph Zukor Jesse Lasky
Starring	Billie Burke
Cinematography	William Marshall
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	November 17, 1918 (1918-11-17)
Running time	50 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

Cast

• Billie Burke as Phyllis Ashbrook
• Alfred Hickman as Roger Mason
• Ida Darling as Mrs. Ashbrook
• David Powell as John Manning
• Wray Page as Anita Webb
• Isabel O'Madigan as Mrs. Harbury
• Frances Kaye as Eileen Harbury
• Bigelow Cooper as Mr. Ashbrook
• Howard Johnson as Donald Ashbrook
• F. Gatenbery Bell as Mr. Harbury

Reception

Like many American films of the time, The Make-Believe Wife was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut, in Reel 4, of the five intertitles "Marian?", "Ethel?", "Daisy?", "Louise, Mabel, Irene," etc., and "Oh, Geraldine", scene of man looking at picture and at woman's underwear and nodding head, and the two intertitles "I give you my word that I don't know who is in that room" and "I thought my past was dead".^[4]