The Chinatown Mystery
NR
1928
200 minutes
Overview
Restored by the George Eastman House in 2001, this 1928 serial was considered a “last hurrah” for the silent-era serial, and brought together some of the biggest names of the era: director J.P. McGowan, actors Francis Ford and Joe Bonomo (a carnival strongman-turned-actor), producer Trem Carr (who would later help found Monogram Pictures), and a slew of silent-era supporting icons such as Ruth Hiatt, Grace Cunard, and more. Chapter names like “The Clutching Claw,” “The Devil’s Dice, “Galloping Fury,” and “The Invisible Hand” offer all one needs to know of the film’s concerns: to promise and deliver as much action and suspense as possible, and move our intrepid hero and heroine from one perilous situation to another. One of the biggest stars of the early silent era and a successful serials director in his own right, Francis Ford was the brother of director John Ford.
Top Cast
Joe Bonomo
Joe Masters
Ruth Hiatt
Sally Warren, Chemist
Francis Ford
The Sphinx
George Chesebro
Sheldon Lewis
Ernest Shields
Jack Richardson
Grace Cunard
Rosemary Theby
Peggy O'Day
Duke Worne
Helen Gibson
Paul Malvern
Al Baffert
Crook
