The Exploits of Elaine (1914)
—
Collection: Moving Picture World, January 1915
—
Pearl White | Louis J. Gasnier (Director) | George B. Seitz (Director | Producer | Screenplay) | Leopold Wharton (Director | Producer) | Theodore Wharton (Director | Producer)
Rest of cast:
Arnold Daly | Creighton Hale | Raymond Owens | Sheldon Lewis | Edwin Arden | Leroy Baker | Bessie Wharton | Riley Hatch | Robin H. Townley | Floyd Buckley | Lionel Barrymore | M. W. Rale | George B. Seitz | Howard Cody | Paul Panzer | Archelaus D. Chadwick (Art Director) | Frank Brownlee (General Manager) | Charles W. Goddard (Screenplay) | Arthur B. Reeve (Novel) | Basil Dickey (Screenplay)
—
Episodes:
- The Clutching Hand
- The Twilight Sleep
- The Vanishing Jewels
- The Frozen Safe
- The Poisoned Room
- The Vampire
- The Double Trap
- The Hidden Voice
- The Death Ray
- The Life Current
- The Hour of Three
- The Blood Crystals
- The Devil Worshippers
- The Reckoning
—
—
“The Exploits of Elaine.”
Second installment of Pathé-Hearst serial utilizes new discovery of “The Twilight Sleep.”
Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald.
The interest excited in the first episode of The Exploits of Elaine finds new stimulation in the second, which is entitled The Twilight Sleep in which the mystery deepens, and the suspense is made even more breathless by the death warning sent to “Craig Kennedy” when he is enjoined to keep out of the Dodge affair or take the consequences.
Tremendously interesting, too, is the strange visitor to the sanitarium where the wonders of the Twilight Sleep is demonstrated, who rewards the kindness of the demonstrators by pocketing the syringe and serum. Later we find the mysterious agent of the “Clutching Hand” in possession of it, and still in the trail of the coveted letter belonging to the late Mr. Dodge, he enters the sleeping apartment of Elaine and injects the ethyl chloride into the arm of the sleeping girl, who, in her semi-conscious state, obeys the commands of the man of mystery, opens the safe, and afterward pens a note to Craig Kennedy, telling him that his services will no longer be required in following up the mystery of her father’s death.
In this instalment we have also the glimmer of a love element to be developed. The face of pretty Elaine has begun to crowd against science in the mind of scientific Craig. But the great feat of the picture is the ruse of the clever detective in administering an under dose of the Twilight Sleep producing fluid, under the influence of which Elaine recounts the incidents of the night before when her mysterious visitor has commanded her, thus clearing up the mystery of the receipt of the note in her handwriting by Craig.
Another thrilling point of the story occurs when the agent of the “Clutching Hand” just misses being clutched in the home of Elaine.
In the forthcoming instalments Craighton Hale will be seen in the role of Jamieson, the friend of Craig Kennedy, in place of Raymond Owens, who is giving place to Mr. Hale for the remainder of the series.
Collection: Moving Picture World, January 1915
—
—
“The Vampire”
Episode number six of “The Exploits of Elaine,” the Pathé-Hearst serial.
Reviewed by Hanford C. Judson.
There is never much doubt who is the center of this sixth of the Exploits serial; it is Pearl White. Miss White has genius when it comes to playing before the camera. She really acts; she has full command of her expression and seems to the spectator to be filled with the emotion she portrays. What is more she takes a remarkably good picture.
This episode, The Vampire, has a situation that fairly makes the nerves creep at the uncanny ability of the terrible band and the blood boil at the audacity of the leader of it. This is an unusual situation and we suspect that no one ever used it before — be it remembered that no one sees all pictures. We are sure that it will be fresh to spectators and will be counted as a very thrilling offering.
Collection: Moving Picture World, February 1915
—
—
“The Exploits of Elaine.”
Episode 9, in which the indomitable Craig Kennedy still battles with defeat and is again the victor.
Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald.
Again the great detective demonstrates his remarkable resourcefulness in the conflict with the “Clutching Hand” that has made us all sit up and hold our breath through episode after episode of this unusually live serial. And we must all admit to being beautifully deceived by him when at the carrying out of the dreadful threat of the master criminal each hour a pedestrian falls dead at his door, he at last gives the signal of his consent to leave the country, by placing, as requested, a vase of flowers in the window. We see him board the ship which is to convey him to South America, while pretty Elaine bids him a sorrowful good-bye; and when the express drivers bring to Elaine’s home a box of valuable scientific instruments (so it was marked at any rate) belonging to Kennedy, and which was too late in arriving at the pier to gain a passage with its Blaster, we believe that we are tremendously surprised to discover beneath the unkempt appearance of the two men the personalities of Kennedy and his friend Jameson.
The big thrill of this episode takes place when again everybody concerned, meaning the three main characters of the story, are again captured and are about to have their lights extinguished by another scientific death-dealer, the Infra-Red Ray, the power of which is cleverly diverted to the room above in which the powerful instrument is placed, by means of a diverting shield which Kennedy in his experimental work has learned to make use of. The police are raiding the place, and everybody is in safety, including the inmates of the place (that is so far as we know) when the curtain is drawn.
Regarding the action of the play there is little to be said that has not been said before. Suffice it to say that the Pathé–Hearst serial continues to hold interest.
Scene from The Exploits of Elaine (Pathé).
Collection: Moving Picture World, March 1915