User Reviews

A.M. & C.M. Williamson were a married couple who specialized in writing books covering the early days of motoring - Charles supplying the technical expertise, Alice spinning the usual romantic story as the base. But she was a novelist in her own right and in 1898 she wrote "A Woman in Grey". In 1920 movie serials were then at their peak and "A Woman in Grey" was probably the career highlight for Arline Pretty, an attractive actress with a long career, just not at any major studio. Her popularity peaked in 1920 (she was in her mid thirties surprisingly, because she didn't look it in this movie) and by the end of the silents work was scarce. Unfortunately she didn't have a hard luck story so people could remember her, only her unusual name which was her own!!

This was the only film made by Serico Productions which promptly went out of business. Operating from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania - as one reviewer says it really made use of some of the suburb's beautiful homes, plus some excellent location shooting showing spacious streets and boulevards. The serial was exciting but tastefully made, definitely not done on the cheap and the ending, all to do with personality transplants and plastic surgery - you just won't believe it!! Pretty way out for 1919 but it makes for an exciting serial.

Wilfred Amory, retired attorney, succeeds in buying his childhood home. It has become a "mystery house" since the owner, a Mrs. Haynes, was murdered there years before. On the evidence of a housemaid, suspicion falls on the mistreated step-daughter and she is convicted and has supposedly died in prison. When young Tom Thurston, Amory's attorney, goes to inspect the house he surprises a "mystery" woman who has been keeping the clocks wound and as the story progresses is found to be a neighbour, Ruth Hope, and author of "The Woman in Grey" a best seller which is all about the murder! Everyone is determined to find out who she really is - is she the housekeeper? is she even the daughter, Florence Haynes, who died in prison etc? She is certainly wanted by the villain, Haviland Hunter (boo! hiss!) and there is always a cliffhanger ending (each episode is only about 12 or 13 minutes in length) where Arline is dropped over a bridge (she lands on a grain train), gets her foot stuck in a railway siding, and in one ingenious fix has nooses around her neck so anyone opening the door will assist at her strangulation! From the first installment she has caught Tom's eye - much to the annoyance of Paula, Wilfred's niece who was hoping Tom would be her future husband! She is now determined to expose Ruth as a fraud, or even an escapee! Both Hunter and Ruth are after a code that enables the bearer to find the treasure hidden in the house and now Paula is in on the act - is she as innocent as she appears??

Yes, a lot of things are implausible - including most of the endings, obviously the director didn't rate the memory of cinema patrons too highly. In Chapter 10 "House of Horrors", a crazed old man, just like in "The Count of Monte Cristo" is exposed, chained up in an under ground dungeon, but when the place is raided by the police no one thinks of rescuing him. Another thing, whenever anyone has to climb out of the window, it is just a step to firm ground, even though most of the windows are on the top floor!! The only recognizable face (to me) is Ann Brody as the mysterious (that word again) Mrs. Traill, companion to Ruth who has the appearance and actions of a spy (we have ways of making you talk!!) than a kindly companion. She was often in movies, usually playing interfering neighbours.

Highly Recommended.

This silent serial has now surfaced in a much better copy on an Alpha DVD. (Take no notice of the alleged running time of only 61 minutes. This is actually the full 15-chapter, 235 minutes serial on one disc). Don't be put off by Chapter One which is rather dull. Most of the cliff-hangers are really suspenseful and many of the chapters have their fair share of thrills, particularly chapters seven (a fight on a speeding streetcar—now that is surely unique!) and eight (a fire which actually looks for real).

I'd never heard of director James Vincent before, but he was once so sufficiently well-regarded by his peers as to be elected President of the Screen Directors Guild. Certainly the handling of most of the action is more than competent. And for its period, the acting is comparatively restrained, although Henry Sell makes a dull hero and both heroine Arline Pretty and chief villain Fred C. Jones tend to go over the top when threatened or threatening, or in any sort of peril.

The "mystery" plot contrives to be both slight yet over-complicated, although it does certainly grab the attention. Unfortunately, the serial tends to combine fresh locations with the same interior sets again and again. The flimsy, pasteboard entrance to the secret passage is opened at least ten or twelve times! By contrast, the exterior scenes, filmed in a wide variety of Wilkes-Barre locations are much more interesting, both from a suspense and an historical angle.

The movie was expertly edited and titled by Joseph White Farnham – a unique combination of duties, if ever there was one. Joe Farnham was later to do some really excellent work on top Hollywood productions at M-G-M. This film, however, was made by the independent Serico Producing Company, located in Wilkes-Barre. Screenplay by W. Richard Hall from a story by A.N. and C. M. Williamson. Photography: George Coudert. Production manager: George H. Wiley.