THE MILLION DOLLAR MYSTERY
Starring James Kirkwood and Lila Lee
HARRISON'S REPORTS
October 15, 1927
"The Million Dollar Mystery" was first put into pictures
many years ago by Mutual; it was in a serial form. The serial
made a hit at that time, making money for every exhibitor that
played it. Evidently Rayart, in putting it into pictures, hoped
that it would duplicate that success. It is doubtful, however,
if the present version will mean to the box office any more than
what a pretty good program picture usually means. Its quality
is of a fair grade. There are a few thrills in it, and the interest
is held fairly tight all the way through. The spectator naturally
wants to know what had become of the million dollars that had
been accumulated by the heroine's father, his purpose being to
turn it over to his daughter (heroine); when she grew up. The
fact that one of the Black Hundred, a society of thieves, turns
out to be a Secret Service man (the part is taken by James Kirkwood,
as the hero) is a distinct surprise to the spectator, who all
along takes him for a crook. Some of the thrills are caused by
the sight of the crooks chasing the supposed father of the heroine
in an aeroplane; the man that was escaping in an aeroplane was
really the heroine's father's butler, his flight being a ruse
to save the heroine's father from falling into the hands of the
crooks. Some of the thrills are caused by a fight between the
hero and the crooks, who had caught the hero in what they thought
a double-crossing act. The plot is from Harold McGrath's novel;
it has been directed by Charles J. Hunt.
The fact that the name of Harold McGrath is popular among the
readers of novels and in the literary world may help the picture
to draw more than the average good program picture usually draws.