Volume II: Filmography

Episode 7 .

THE MILLION DOLLAR MYSTERY

THE DOOM OF THE AUTO BANDITS

James Cruze and Florence LaBaide in a scene (L) from "The Doom of the Auto Bandits" Courtesy of Donald Collins (S-20)

Scene (R) from "The Doom of the Auto Bandits" Courtesy of Donald Collins (S-30)

August 3, 1914 (Monday)

Length: 2 reels (reels 13 and 14)

ARTICLE, The Toledo Blade, June 3, 1914:

"The Duke of Manchester is gone into the 'movies.' England's titled son is shown in a scene of The Million Dollar Mystery, a Thanhouser production. It happened in this way: Manchester was having his first view of motion pictures in the making. Charles J. Hite, president of the Thanhouser Company, escorted him through the studio. When the party arrived in the east building, where some of the Mystery scenes are being taken, Mr. Hite called Director Howell Hansel to one side and told him to put the Duke into a scene. It was no sooner said than done, almost before the Englishman realized what was happening. The Duke enjoyed it and laughingly told Mr. Hite to 'crank the camera.' The visitor proved so adept that an actual scene was taken, showing him aiding Miss Florence LaBadie, heroine of the forthcoming serial, to escape from the machinations of the Countess Olga, Miss Marguerite Snow, and her band of conspirators."

ARTICLE, Reel Life, September 12, 1914:

"What exhibitors think of The Million Dollar Mystery, the big Thanhouser serial, is shown by the numerous letters which come from all parts of the country declaring it to be a tremendous success. 'We have been turning them away,' writes Walton H. Hill, manager of the Plaza Theatre, Montgomery, Alabama, 'ever since we began to show The Million Dollar Mystery. Each succeeding installment of the serial - we have run up to this time seven - has broken the record of the one that preceded it. We started out running four reels of pictures, our regular show at ten cents, when we ran the Mystery, then cut to a three reel basis, and now are seriously considering running the Mystery by itself in order to keep from turning away our patrons. It is the greatest drawing card we have ever had at our house.'"

SYNOPSIS, Reel Life, August 1, 1914:

"Private detectives and amateur sleuths kept Jones, the butler, busy answering the thumps of the great silver knocker on the front door of the Hargreave mansion for several weeks following the disappearance of the millionaire's treasure. Jones refused admission to many, but when the Duke of Manchester and Archibald White, two friends of the butler's missing master, asked to look over the grounds in an effort to solve the mystery they were instantly admitted.

"The Duke examined the safe and the relative positions occupied by the conspirators, Jones, and his master on the night the house was broken into and Hargreave was obliged to escape in the balloon of A. Leo Stevens, the aeronaut. He was unable to offer any suggestions which might lead to the capture of the conspirators, however, and left the mansion most puzzled by his old friend's disappearance. Later, Mr. White also examined the safe carefully, but was unable to detect any secret compartments in it within which the money might be concealed.

"The conspirators, well aware that the money had been securely hidden, still clung to the theory that Florence Gray, Hargreave's daughter, held the key to the solution of the mystery. A third time they began to weave their net for the girl, confident that on this occasion she would not escape them. Realizing that Florence and Norton and Jones must be aware of their identity, the conspirators made no attempt in person to shadow their prey. Instead, they hired a gangster to keep track of their intended victim.

"From a loose-mouthed groom in the Hargreave's stables, the gangster learned that Florence each morning took a drive along the lake shore road near her home. The tip was sufficient, and once Braine and Countess Olga were in possession of this information they laid their plans accordingly. Dressed as a feeble old man, the conspirator, Albert C. Froome, who already has been seen as an organ grinder and a French count, places himself in the roadway along which Florence is accustomed to take her morning drive. Leaning heavily on a gnarled cane and disguised in a workman's cap and a long beard the conspirator completely deceives Florence. As she rounds a bend in the road the conspirator falls upon his back, apparently in a fit. Florence leaps from her horse and is about to lift the supposed old man to his feet, when the latter turns upon her and drags her from the roadway. Her frightened horse runs off down the road. Florence is taken to an abandoned cabin where she is placed in the care of a bully, who bears a remarkable resemblance to the original Bill Sykes. The conspirator dashes off to inform the other conspirators that for the third time the girl has been entrapped.

"Meanwhile, Jim Norton, the reporter, is busy buying Florence an engagement ring. Their little love affair has progressed to a stage where words are not necessary to a complete understanding. Florence has confessed her love for the gallant young reporter and Jim - well, Jim is hopelessly 'gone!' Returning to the Hargreave mansion Jim learns that Florence has left for her morning gallop. Knowing her route and hoping to overtake her in his cycle car, Jim speeds along the country road. He has gone scarcely half a mile, however, when Florence's frightened mare gallops madly past and farther on he discovers her bouquet he had sent her that morning, lying in the dust. Only a short distance away he comes upon her riding whip and hat lying by the roadside. A confused trail of footprints, as though someone had been forcibly dragged along, convinces Jim that Florence again has fallen into the hands of her father's enemies. Hurriedly he trails the footprints to the deserted cabin where he rescues Florence after a desperate battle with the bully.

"They have barely reached the woods leading to the road when the conspirators return and at once give chase in their high-powered automobile. Putting on all speed they rapidly overhaul the small cycle-motor which Norton is driving with Florence. The chase soon brings them into a small town, which is divided by a stream spanned by a drawbridge. Realizing that he will be overtaken before he reaches the river, Norton takes careful aim with his revolver and succeeds in puncturing one of the tires of the pursuing car just as it reaches the opening drawbridge. The mighty splash which follows hides the conspirators from view. After the lapse of a few moments it is only too evident that at least one of the conspirators has been carried down to his death beneath the car. The body of another shortly afterward rises to the surface and floats off down the stream, while Florence looks on in horror at the catastrophe.

"When Norton is assured that spectators and the authorities will take care of the survivors of the accident, he and Florence, unwilling to be involved further in the affair, hurry from the scene. Reaching the Hargreave mansion Jim finishes the self-appointed task he undertook earlier in the day, before the conspirators interfered and, in the last scene of all slips an engagement ring on Florence's finger and gathers her to him in his arms."

REVIEW, The Moving Picture World, August 8, 1914: This review is reprinted in the narrative section of the present work.

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