Summary
In an audacious turn of fate, the notorious gentleman thief Boston Blackie, ever the connoisseur of intricate locks and impenetrable vaults, finds his singular talents solicited through an unassuming classified advertisement. The orchestrator of this peculiar summons is Doris Macon, a woman of enigmatic conviction, who asserts an unimpeachable moral claim to the clandestine contents of a formidable safe. Blackie, intrigued by the ethical quandary and the promise of a challenge, agrees to her terms. Their nocturnal foray into the estate housing the coveted repository culminates in a meticulously executed breach, a controlled detonation of the safe’s steel heart coinciding dramatically with the ill-timed return of its owner, Captain von Hoffmeier. In the ensuing chaos, Doris deftly absconds with vital documents, while Blackie, with a connoisseur's intuition, seizes a collection of phonograph records. These seemingly innocuous discs, when subjected to the precise calibration of a specialized needle, unveil an insidious tapestry of espionage, implicating von Hoffmeier as a clandestine German operative. Unbeknownst to Blackie, Doris herself is a crucial pawn in a larger game, the paramour of a secret service agent who has shadowed their every move. The revelations not only absolve Blackie of criminal intent but elevate his unique skill set to the realm of national security, ultimately conscripting his refined expertise into the service of the government.
Synopsis
Gentleman crook Boston Blackie answers a want ad for an expert safe cracker placed by Doris Macon, who claims a moral right to the safe's contents. She hires Blackie, and they break into the house where the safe is kept. Blackie blows up the safe just as owner Captain von Hoffmeier returns home. Doris disappears with papers from inside the safe, while Blackie takes phonograph records, which, when played with a special needle, reveal secrets that implicate von Hoffmeier as a German political spy. Doris is actually the girl friend of a secret service man who has followed them to the house. Blackie's talents are praised, and he goes to work for the government.
