The Red Circle (1915) User Reviews

The plot of the serial THE RED CIRCLE (1915)

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 4 July 2007]

I first learned about this serial from a book in the Nepean Library that, sadly, has now been discarded and therefore is no longer in the library system. Because of this, I have decided to disclose what I know of the plot of this serial.

The story involves a family who is cursed to bear the mark of the Red Circle. The hero, the last scion of this family, does not have this mark, which is located on the back of the hand. He is a detective who is after a thief who turns out to be a beautiful girl on whom the mark of the Red Circle appears in times of stress.

Eventually, our young detective discovers that he was switched in infancy with the girl during an evacuation after a mine explosion, and that she is, in fact, the family's rightful heir! Apart from the silly "baby switch" scenario, this was apparently a suspenseful serial and well received by the general public. I wish I COULD see it!

Poster of the Red Circle, Episode 13

[eduncan-959-718284 · 25 January 2011]

The Roscoe Historical Museum has an old photograph (ca. 1917) of the local cinema and confectionery. On its wall is a big square poster (about 4' x 4') advertising the thirteenth episode of "The Red Circle," entitled "Branded as a Thief 2." In a painted image an angry young man is pictured holding a frightened fat man by the throat, while a third man in what looks like an usher's uniform looks on in alarm. Below the image, the text of the poster is this: PATHÉ PRESENTS : RUTH ROLAND : AND FRANK MAYO IN : BRANDED AS A THIEF 2 : THIRTEENTH EPISODE OF THE RED CIRCLE. (I have inserted colons to indicate the line breaks.) In the top left hand part of the poster is the word PATHÉ and immediately below it in the same size font, BALBOA.