Universal based the film on the story written by Clarke Irvine and adapted for the screen by Fred Myton.

Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson, lead an all-star cast of Universal contract players in this feature film.

The film begins with the rescue of a wealthy girl stranded on a small island by the son of a modest fish seller.

He intends to create a fake emergency, forcing them to abandon the ship to a nearby uncharted island.

Many twists and turns finally lead to the society girl and fisherman's son discovering their love for each other.

[6] There was a recurring claim that Carl Laemmle was the longest-running studio chief resisting the production of feature films.

[16] Carleton arrived with impeccable credentials, having directed some 60 films for the likes of Thanhouser, Lubin, Fox, and Selig.

[17] 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.

Carleton was given the task by Carl Laemmle to determine if the Davenport-Johnson duo had the desired on-screen chemistry.

A movie advertisement in the October 12, 1916 issue of The Seattle Star sums it up this way: The story is a thrilling one of a romance of two souls brought together by fate on a desert island, two people from entirely different strata of society, who fall in love, their mutual attraction overcoming all the barriers that society puts in their way.

The story highlights Harry Arnold's yacht and his manipulative tactics to win Martha's affection.

In order to film boat scenes, Lloyd Carleton and his team decided to rent a large steam vessel.

During the trip, the company could pause in Santa Barbara and its surrounding area to capture island scenes as specified in the movie.

The party left Los Angeles in high spirits, with Dorothy Davenport, Emory Johnson, Richard Morris, and other cast members.

[32] After leaving port, the movie company faced strong winds and rough seas on what would become a three-day voyage.

[33] On March 15, 1915,[34] Laemmle opened the world's largest motion picture production facility, Universal City Studios.

[40] The March 3, 1917 issue of The Moving Picture Weekly features an article about a rising actress named Roberta Wilson.

The article highlights, "She has done a great many important things, such as starring in Red Feathers, like "Barriers of Society" and "The Heritage of Hate.

As stated in this article, Barriers of Society was a five-reel Universal Red Feather production featuring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson.

Heritage of Hate was initially planned as a three-reel movie, but was later released as a five-reel Universal Red Feather production starring Roberta Wilson and William Quinn.

[40] and entered in the record as shown:[d] The release date of Monday, October 16, 1916, was cited in several movie magazines.

Advertising plays a vital role in ensuring a movie's success by bringing paying customers to the theater.

By providing details about plotlines, actors, release dates, and other key information, a successful marketing campaign boosts excitement among potential stakeholders.

This knowledge empowered theater owners to make smarter booking decisions in a competitive market.

In addition to an advertising campaign for a movie, Carl Laemmle added another wrinkle to assist potential stakeholders in deciding to view or book a new film.

[e] In 1916, Universal produced 91 branded feature films, consisting of 44 Bluebirds and 47 Red Feather productions.

It has no high dramatic moments but carries the interest quite well without them.In the October 21, 1916 issue of The Moving Picture World, the staff review:[51] The story is simple in plot and quite appealing.

Some construction is a little choppy, but it has a good adventurous flavor and retains the interest despite some weaknesses.Lincoln, Nebraska population 18,498[52] I want to thank you for the feature you sent me, "The Barriers of Society," and must say it is one of the best pictures I have had in a long time.

The first day I ran it was Monday, and during the exciting scenes of the picture, I thought my patrons would tear the house down.

The city of Dawson used a large stockpile of silent films to bolster a sagging hockey rink in 1929.