Deep Archive Finds in the Vein of Beatrice Fairfax Episode 1: The M...

The Beatrice Fairfax Episode 1: The Missing Watchman Phenomenon

As a pivotal work in United States cinema, Beatrice Fairfax Episode 1: The Missing Watchman to capture the existential zeitgeist of 1916.

The prologue opens with an interior view of the office of the editor of the New York Evening Journal. Mr. Brisbane is seated at his desk, dictating. His private secretary enters, and receives instructions. "Tad," the cartoonist, comes in with his "comic" for the day and receives an O.K. on it from Mr. Brisbane. As he leaves, the managing editor enters, accompanied by Beatrice Fairfax. The three engage in an animated conversation in which Beatrice Fairfax outlines certain work she has in mind and the prologue ends. The first episode shows Beatrice Fairfax at her desk, opening her mail. One letter in particular interests her. It is signed by Mary Ryan, who tells the confidante that she believes her fiancé, who is a watchman in a bank, is growing cold in his affection. The next scene shows the reportorial rooms of the New York Evening Journal. "Jimmy Barton," the star reporter, hurriedly enters with a story of a bank robbery. As he writes, Beatrice looks over his shoulder, and reading his copy, sees that suspicion points to the watchman of the bank. She recalls Mary Ryan's letter, and tells Jimmy. Beatrice and Jimmy hurry in a taxi to Mary's home. There they learn her story. There is, of course, "another woman." Meantime the bank robbers are seen enmeshing the watchman. He flirts with the "other woman" and she inveigles him into their den. There they bind and gag him and take his uniform. One of them impersonates him as the watchman at the bank. At midnight he admits his confederates. There is a thrilling scene, showing the robbers drilling the door of the vault. They escape with the money. Mary's home is again shown. Beatrice and Mary start out to find Mary's rival, while Jimmy docs some sleuthing. He trails a notorious bank robber to his home and hears him relate the story of the robbery to his mother. They catch Jimmy eavesdropping. A fight follows and the robber and his mother escape from the house. Jimmy hears groans in the cellar, and finds the bank watchman there bound and gagged. He tells Jimmy how the "other woman" led him into a trap at her home. Together they leave to locate the house. Beatrice and Mary have reached there before them. The robber with whom Jimmy had the fight sees them peeping through the keyhole as the other robbers count their loot. Realizing they have been trapped the robbers prepare for flight. After desperate struggle, Beatrice and Mary are forced into a room, where one of the robbers, a doctor, sets fire to a mixture he has prepared which produces a deadly gas. Beatrice and Mary are fast losing consciousness when Jimmy and the watchman, with a number of detectives arrive. There is a terrific battle with the robbers, all of whom are finally overpowered, the two women restored to consciousness and the funds of the bank recovered. There are explanations and a reunion between Mary and the watchman. Then Beatrice and Jimmy hurry to their office, where they write the story of the capture of the bank robbers and the recovery of the plunder for a midnight "extra."