Summary
A retired banker’s domestic idyll detonates when the ghost of a debtor he once jailed slips through the keyhole of time: Hassen Arum, now masquerading as impresario Guy Buward, infiltrates the gilded parlors of the Deleron estate by hiding—literally—inside the patriarch’s own grandfather clock. While the nurse flirts with the butler, little Edward is snatched through velvet drapes; fifteen years of silence follow, thick as funeral crepe. The lost boy re-emerges as Olaf Buward, star danseur of an itinerant East Indian troupe, his memories wiped clean by the narcotic of revenge. He rescues Helen—his unknowing sister—from a tipsy masher outside the Apollo Theater, and the siblings tumble into a vertiginous pas de deux of desire: candle-lit confessionals, clandestine notes slid beneath silk gloves, a dawn elopement that ends with metal shrieking against cliff-side stone. As Helen exhales her last breath among honeysuckle and broken glass, Hassen steps from the wreckage to present their corpses like macabre gift-wrapping to the father who once signed a promissory note of suffering. A final rooftop pursuit—gunmetal glinting over chimney pots—concludes with two bodies crashing through banisters, the ledger of vengeance balanced in splinters and blood.
Synopsis
Mr. Deleron, a retired banker, gave up active business in order that he could devote all of his attention to his wife and two young children, Helen and Edward. When he was at the height of his banking career, many years ago, he was instrumental in having Hassen Arum, an East Indian, imprisoned for debt. One day when returning home from a drive, Mr. Deleron did not notice a stranger in the street opposite his house. Hassen Amru, after being in prison for many years, had escaped. The unobserved stranger was there for revenge. Several days later, the East Indian meets an old clockmaker who had been summoned to repair a grandfather's clock in the Deleron home. Hassen arranges to get his help in a revengeful plot. The clockmaker agrees and enters the banker's house. Just as he starts to work he hears the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Deleron nearing him, and not wishing to be seen, hides in the clock until the banker and his wife leave. Before leaving, they place the children in the care of their nurse. No sooner have the Delerons departed than the nurse leaves the children to care for themselves and goes for a tete-a-tete with the butler. The old man steps from out of the clock, and hides behind the portieres where the children are playing. The children are playing with the furniture and ornaments, and in one of their pranks Edward takes Helen's locket and is about to reach for a vase when suddenly the portieres open and the old man grabs him and disappears. Shortly afterward the parents return home. The butler has discovered that little Edward is gone. Mr. and Mrs. Deleron enter the room and find Helm in the arms of her nurse.. Mr. Deleron immediately notifies the police, but no clue can be found. Fifteen years now elapse, and Mr. and Mrs. Deleron and Helen are living in a magnificent villa in East Park. Helen is engaged to be married to Herbert Garwood, a lawyer. A very important business matter, which means Herbert's future, is coming up in another city and it is necessary for him to leave and remain away for several weeks. Before going, he purchases a seat for her at the Apollo Theater, where an East Indian Theatrical company is appearing in "The Mephisto Dance." After the performance, Helen is assaulted by an intoxicated man. Being unescorted, she calls for help. Her cries are heard by Olaf Buward, a member of the East Indian troupe. Olaf frees her from the drunkard. Helen faints in the arms of her rescuer. At that moment her carriage arrives, and she is helped in by Olaf. Helen thanks her protector for his act of chivalry, and before driving off, hands him her card, with an invitation to call at her home. Hassen has now taken the name of Guy Buward, manager of the East Indian Theatrical Troupe. Olaf goes home and tells Guy of his odd adventure. He shows him Helen's card and Buward is stunned at the sight of the name Deleron. Guy insists that Olaf visit the girl he rescued. Ruth, who is madly in love with Olaf, hears of the adventure also, but does not place much faith in it. One afternoon, several days later, Olaf visits the Delerons. He is graciously received and thanked by Helen's parents for protecting her. Time quickly flies, and Olaf must leave and dress for the night's performance. After the performance that night Olaf tells Guy of his love for Helen. Guy learns with diabolical satisfaction that brother and sister are falling in love with each other. Mr. Deleron and his wife are sitting in their apartments. Deleron falls asleep and his wife leaves. The window suddenly opens and a masked head appears. Entering the room, the figure cautiously places a note near the banker. In leaving, the window is closed abruptly, and the noise awakens Deleron, who finds the following missive, "Keep your eyes open. Your son is near you. If you doubt this statement, you will find the missing locket and the photograph of your child." Mr. Deleron is startled. Mr. Deleron is very much interested in the East Indian Theatrical Company and invites them to his home the next day. Guy Buward does not accept the invitation, but Ruth and Olaf agree to come. After tea, Helen and Olaf are alone in the music room. Olaf tells her of his love and asks her to marry him. Helen loves Olaf, but tells him of her betrothal to the young lawyer. She shows him her engagement ring and also a letter from Herbert, stating he will soon return to claim her as his own. Olaf pleads with her to return his love, which she does, and their engagement is sealed with a kiss. Ruth enters just in time to witness this and in a rage of jealousy brings Mr. Deleron. Helen and Olaf are found in each other's arms. The banker scolds his daughter, but Olaf tells of their love and asks for his consent to their marriage. The father refuses and the young East Indian departs. Before leaving, he meets the butler and with his assistance the following note, "Await me at dawn," is delivered to Helen. The next morning, Olaf leaves a note on Hassen's table telling him of his elopement with Helen and that they are on their way to London. Hassen arrives a few minutes later, and after reading the note decides to follow. Olaf goes to the window of Helen's room, and urges her to hurry and dress. Hassen jumps on their auto from behind, and rides there until they come to the main road. He leaves their car and engages another to follow them. Helen and Olaf discover someone is following, and instruct their chauffeur to drive at full speed. At a curve, the car is thrown over with terrific force. The door opens from the sudden jar and the occupants are thrown down a steep embankment. In the meantime Herbert has returned from his business trip and is at the Deleron home. He is elated over his success and wants to name the date of his marriage to Helen. The door suddenly opens and Ruth, preceded by the butler, rushes in. She tells the banker that his daughter has eloped with Olaf. The telephone rings and no sooner has Mr. Deleron taken up the receiver than his expression changes to untold horror. He is informed of the terrible accident that has happened and his daughter is one of the victims. Mr. Deleron. Herbert, and the butler hurry to the scene of the accident. They arrive too late; the spirit of Helen is passing to the Great Beyond. In this moment of distress, Deleron hears a voice from behind. He turns and beholds Hassen. "This," said Hassen, pointing to the body of Olaf which has been ignored, "Is the son I robbed you of. And I now return him, a corpse.'' Pulling Ruth after him, Hassen and the girl jump into the auto and leave. Herbert understands everything, and is determined that this demon shall not go unpunished. Herbert and the butler go in pursuit. Hassen, seeing the pursuers are gaining on them, jumps from his automobile and hides behind a tree until the other car passes. Hassen's car is caught up with and in the exciting chase, Herbert jumps from his car onto the other and forces the chauffeur to stop. He only finds Ruth in the car, who refuses to tell anything of Hassen. Her captors take her to Hassen's apartments, and while Herbert and the butler are questioning her, Hassen sneaks up and covering the two men with a revolver, ties them. The East Indian and Ruth escape by the rear of the building over housetops and roofs. Presently, Mr. Deleron arrives and finding Herbert and the butler tied, releases them. The three start on the hunt for Hassen. Hassen and Ruth, escaping, quarrel and in going up a flight of stairs, tussle. The force of the tussle breaks the banisters and they fall down the stairs to their fate.
Review Excerpt
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Harry Piel’s The Hindu Nemesis arrives like a lacquered music-box missing half its teeth: the melody lurches, the cylinder sticks, yet the discord that spills out is so hypnotically wrong you cannot wrench your ear away. Shot in the bruised twilight of 1914, when European streets were already echoing with enlistment drums, this German curio exports its angst to drawing-room London and lets it fester under turmeric-colored gaslight.
A Clockwork Kidnapping
The film’s prologue is a master-class i..."
