UNDER A SHADOW

Released 12/5/15 by Universal/Rex; Director: Joseph De Grasse; Screenplay: F. McGrew Willis, from his story A Secret Service Affair; 2 reels

CAST: Gretchen Lederer (Alice Irving/Thera Dufre), Lon Chaney (DeSerris), Arthur Shirley (Mr. Irving), Millard K. Wilson (The Foreign Agent)

SYNOPSIS: Thera Dufre, a former member of a foreign secret service bureau, and now in hiding from government agents, receives a letter ordering her to take a sealed packet to a specified meeting place and deliver it to Mr. DeSerris. DeSerris awaits at the appointed spot when Alice Irving, who bears a striking resemblance to Thera, passes and is accosted by DeSerris who mistakes her for the agent. Alice escapes, but the jealous Mr. Irving sees DeSerris following her and refuses to believe her story. Later DeSerris confronts Alice as she tries to enter the house, demanding that she turn over the packet. Mr. Irving sees them and comes after DeSerris with a gun. Alice tries to grab the gun, and in the ensuing struggle, Alice's daughter is shot. Thera, who has seen DeSerris mistake Alice for her, sees this as her chance to escape, but is struck by the Irving's car as they rush their child to the hospital. Irving sends her back to his house with the butler. Thera hides when Alice enters, and again DeSerris breaks in an attacks the innocent woman. Thera shoots Irving, and places the revolver beside Alice who has fainted. She plans to leave and pin the murder on Alice when the phone rings. She answers the phone and it is her husband saying that the child will recover and begging forgiveness for his jealousy. Realizing that Alice's family would be destroyed by her act of cowardice, Thera decides to remain and accept the blame for the murder.

"A fair melodrama that contains as its strong point much exciting action. In fact the action causes one to disregard some of the unconvincing situations...The double exposure scenes are not very well handled." ---Motion Picture News


© 1996,2008 Jon C. Mirsalis


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