William H. West is robbed at gunpoint of some valuable jewelry. When the usual police methods fail, they have no choice but to call in Ruth Roland, the Girl Detective in this lively entry into the Kalem series of two-reelers.
Kalem had developed a major genre of women who went out and took care of their own and others' problems, starting with Gene Gauntier in her popular "Girl Spy" films. Now, with Miss Gauntier gone, they promoted several other stars to fill her roles, and few were as popular as Miss Roland, whose stardom extended through the end of the silent era.
This effort is enlivened by the choices of her director, James Horne, who orders the camera set at interesting angles and has his characters do several things at once -- in one sequence, Paul Hurst is quite natural, talking to Cleo Ridgely, smoking, and playing with the dog all at once. The audience never has a chance to grow bored.
Horne is better remembered for his work at the Hal Roach studios, where he directed Laurel & Hardy in some of their early shorts and features. Among fans of serials, he is also held in great esteem for several amusingly detailed efforts like THE GREEN ARCHER and HOLT OF THE SECRET SERVICE.
Kalem had developed a major genre of women who went out and took care of their own and others' problems, starting with Gene Gauntier in her popular "Girl Spy" films. Now, with Miss Gauntier gone, they promoted several other stars to fill her roles, and few were as popular as Miss Roland, whose stardom extended through the end of the silent era.
This effort is enlivened by the choices of her director, James Horne, who orders the camera set at interesting angles and has his characters do several things at once -- in one sequence, Paul Hurst is quite natural, talking to Cleo Ridgely, smoking, and playing with the dog all at once. The audience never has a chance to grow bored.
Horne is better remembered for his work at the Hal Roach studios, where he directed Laurel & Hardy in some of their early shorts and features. Among fans of serials, he is also held in great esteem for several amusingly detailed efforts like THE GREEN ARCHER and HOLT OF THE SECRET SERVICE.
