Summary
The Lincoln Highwayman unfurls as a cinematic meditation on the metamorphosis of outlawry, tracing its lineage from the lone road agent of the Old West to the sleek, gasoline‑fueled bandit of the roaring twenties. Marian Calvert, a genteel Californian heiress, embarks on a coastal sojourn with her uncle’s clan, only to be ensnared by the eponymous Highwayman when his high‑octane automobile robs them of glittering heirlooms. The stolen trinket resurfaces at a seaside soirée, dropped inadvertently by the tardy Jimmy Clunder, whose casual explanation that he found it on the road ignites Marian’s curiosity. Secret Service operative Steele, smitten with Marian, vows to apprehend the rogue, while the Governor commissions Captain Claver and his deputy to hunt the phantom thief. Jimmy, aided by his astute canine Spike, stages a daring hold‑up of Steele and Marian, thereby casting doubt on Steele’s competence and deepening Marian’s fascination with Jimmy. In a final masquerade, Jimmy assumes the guise of a copper‑mine paymaster, captures the genuine culprits—corrupt policemen masquerading as thieves—secures the reward, and wins Marian’s heart.
Synopsis
In a prologue, the evolution of banditry from the road agent to the modern automobile bandit is depicted. In the main story, Marian Calvert, traveling along the California coast with her uncle and his family to a weekend party, becomes infatuated with the infamous Lincoln Highwayman when he robs them of their jewelry and leaves in his high powered auto. At the party, when late arrival Jimmy Clunder drops one of the stolen jewels, Marian's suspicions are aroused even though he explains he found it on the road. Steele, a secret service man at the party, who is in love with Marian, vows to capture the criminal, while the Governor of California appoints Captain Claver from the Sacramento police and his assistant to catch him. When Jimmy, with the help of his very intelligent dog Spike, holds up Steele and Marian to prove Steele's incompetence, Marian, convinced that Jimmy is the thief, falls more in love with him. After Jimmy, masquerading as a paymaster of a copper mine, captures the real thieves, the policemen, he wins a reward and Marian's love.
