gvd12

The Phantom Foe (1920)

15-Part Cliffhanger

Janet Dale, heir to her father's business, is threatened by an unknown enemy. Suspicion falls at once on her father's business partner, Leo Sealkirk, because of an incident earlier in their partnership. Is her uncle the culprit? Will Janet escape? Find out next week at this theater... eventually.

This serial is much like the others of the time, intended to hook audiences in week after week. The print I saw is very well-preserved, and the rating I gave is for that and because it's a well-done example of its genre -- it even gives the female characters something to do besides scream (silently!), faint and be rescued. However, I must note that a silent peril-and-rescue serial with fifteen 25-minute episodes is strictly for the hardcore fan.