''The Master Mystery'' is a 1918 American

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

silent

serial film A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

told in 15 installments. The film was directed by Harry Grossman and

Burton L. King Burton L. King (August 25, 1877 – May 4, 1944) was an American film actor and director. One of his best-known productions was '' The Lost Battalion'' (1919). Selected filmography * '' The Battle of Gettysburg'' (1913) * ''Under the Crescent'' ...

and written by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles Logue. The film stars Harry Houdini,

Marguerite Marsh Marguerite Marsh (April 18, 1888 – December 8, 1925) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 70 films between 1911 and 1923. Early in her career, she was known as Margaret Loveridge. Biography Marsh was the el ...

Ruth Stonehouse Ruth Stonehouse (September 28, 1892 – May 12, 1941) was an actress and film director during the silent film era. Her stage career started at the age of eight as a dancer in Arizona shows. Early life Ruth Stonehouse was born to James Wesley ...

, Edna Britton, William Pike, and Charles Graham. Episode 1 was released on November 18, 1918, by Octagon Films. It is one of the first films to feature a

powered exoskeleton A powered exoskeleton, also known as power armor, powered armor, powered suit, cybernetic suit, cybernetic armor, exosuit, hardsuit, exoframe or augmented mobility, is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body, pro ...

Plot

Justice Department agent Quentin Locke is investigating a powerful cartel that is protected by The Automaton, a robot. However, it uses a gas weapon known as The Madagascan Madness.

Cast

* Harry Houdini as Quentin Locke *

as Eva Brent *

as Zita Dane *Edna Britton as De Luxe Dora *William Pike as Paul Balcom *Charles Graham as Herbert Balcom *

Floyd Buckley Floyd Buckley (October 21, 1877 - November 14, 1956) was an American film, stage, and radio actor whose career began with Buffalo Bill and ended with Broadway. Born in Chatham, New York, Buckley attended St. John's Military Academy in Manlius ...

as Q the Automaton *Jack Burns as Peter Brent

Episodes

#''Living Death'' #''The Iron Terror'' #''The Water Peril'' #''The Test'' #''The Chemist’s Shop'' #''The Mad Genius'' #''Barbed Wire'' #''The Challenge'' #''The Madagascan Madness'' #''The Binding Ring'' #''The Net'' #''The Death Noose'' #''The Flash of Death'' #''The Tangled Web'' #''Bound at Last; or, Unmasking of the Automaton''

References

External links

* * 1919 films 1910s mystery films 1910s science fiction films American silent serial films 1910s English-language films American mystery films Films directed by Burton L. King American robot films Harry Houdini American black-and-white films American science fiction films Films with screenplays by Arthur B. Reeve 1910s American films Silent mystery films Silent science fiction films {{1910s-US-film-stub