User Reviews

A four-part picture giving a melodrama filled with sensational incidents, and what is more surprising and better than sensationalism, freshness. The scenes are handled smoothly and convincingly and, with one or two exceptions, the players do very good work indeed. But it has one drawback as a whole: it is more interested in giving us sensations than it is in building up in us the big sensation from the dangers and perplexities of the heroine. In order to enjoy any picture of a struggle we have got to take sides, and there is no way to make us get so wrapped up in one as to make the fate of beauty in distress hang on the outcome of the fight, or chase, or struggle-of-wits. This picture's heroine had been in deep danger, but she has been practically rescued, and still the story keeps on; we see a fight on top of a swiftly moving train, but have almost forgotten what it is about. The heroine was got out of the villain's house too soon. Fraunie Fraunholtz makes the leading role very interesting with his evil plotting and villainous demeanor, though once or twice it was overdone, as when he threw the table down. Vinnie Burns plays a piteous figure as the heroine and deserves praise. The detective is the picture's weakest point in scenario and in the acting, though that disguise was most ably accomplished. On the whole, we believe the offering will be liked. - The Moving Picture World, November 15, 1913