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A Game of Wits
(1914) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: Stanley Walpole [the American ambassador], Ernest Evers (E.P. Evers) [George Howard], Carol Holloway [Donna Inez], Fred Sumner [John Steele], Will E. Sheerer [the Mexican ambassador], E.F. Redmond (Edward Roseman)
Eclair Film Company of America production; distributed by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated. / Released 16 December 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Mystery.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? George Howard, the handsome but weak-willed secretary to the American envoy, who has assisted in the formulation of the treaty, decides to secure a copy of the treaty, and, by selling it to the secret service of another power, to make a small fortune. In order to make a copy of the document Howard takes the treaty from the Government archives. Its theft is immediately discovered and Howard flees. Donna Inez, an adventuress and spy in the employ of a Central American power, learns of the theft of the treaty and of Howard’s disappearance. She learns of the hiding place of the traitorous secretary and scrapes acquaintance with him. Learning where he has hidden the document she disguises herself as a scrub woman, but is surprised while attempting to make off with the treaty. Her tears prevent Howard from dealing roughly with her and later by means of the wiles of a woman of the world she makes Howard believe she is infatuated with him. Meanwhile Steele, a Government secret service man, has been assigned to follow Howard. He learns of the affair between the former trusted secretary and Donna Inez. The clever adventuress finds that she and Howard are being shadowed and flees to Arizona, leaving a note with Howard telling him she will meet him in Tucson on a certain date. Howard, willing to sell his honor for a kiss, wires her he will join her with the treaty. Donna Inez, disguises herself as a gypsy and joins her lover, Pedro, on a wagon train passing through the Arizona mining town. Steele intercepts Howard’s telegram and follows him to Tucson, where he makes his identity known at a critical moment and saves the young American from disgrace. Howard, laughed at by Donna Inez and her lover, Pedro, determines to return to the North to stand trial for his crime. Howard’s assurance that no one beside himself had learned the contents of the treaty seemed to indicate that Uncle Sam would not mete out the full punishment of the law to the former secretary.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Law: Enforcement: Police: Detectives - USA: Arizona: Tucson
Listing updated: 10 November 2022.
References: Edmonds-BigU p. 30 : Website-IMDb.
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