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The $50,000 Jewel Theft
(1915) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by Murdock MacQuarrie
Cast: M.J. MacQuarrie (Murdock MacQuarrie) [Detective Tom Sparks], Hayward Mack [Arthur Moon], Adele Farrington [Mrs. Harding], Edna Payne
The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, production; distributed by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated [?] [Big U]? / Scenario by Murdock MacQuarrie, from a story by George Edwards Hall (George Edwardes-Hall). / Released 7 October 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Crime.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? The police of the Pacific Coast are baffled by the operations of a gang of society crooks. The successful theft of $50,000 worth of jewels from Mrs. Harding, a wealthy woman from the east, marks the largest haul they have made. Old Tom Sparks, one of the oldest detectives on the force, reads of the robbery and asks to be assigned to the case. Old Tom is looked upon by the other members as somewhat as a joke, and the chief laughingly tells him that this case requires the ability of young men. One of the crooks is taken into custody and given the third degree without result. Sparks wanders around, ever alert, and sees a vaguely familiar face. On consulting the photos in the Rogues’ Gallery he finds the likeness of the man, who is a famous crook. Sparks returns in disguise and follows him around. Mrs. Harding is rendered frantic by the loss of her jewels and the police are unable to get a line on the crooks. Sparks, in the disguise of a crippled beggar, does not rouse the suspicions of the crooks and finally by a ruse manages to get into the room where the crooks are staying. His suspicions are verified, for he finds some of the missing jewelry and later sees one of the crooks remove a stone from a setting and take it to a pawnshop. Sparks hurriedly calls up the station and gets more men. That night when the crooks assemble to divide the money received from the jewel they are surrounded and captured and the jewelry recovered. The jewels are restored to the owner, who starts to thank the chief, but he tells her all the credit is due to the old detective. When she, overcome with gratitude for the recovery of the jewels, starts to write and a check to Sparks, he smilingly tells her to give the reward to some deserving charity. The boys on the force acclaim him the best in the service and the chief tells him that he will never hesitate in putting him on the most baffling cases in the future.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 27 October 2022.
References: Tarbox-Lost p. 237 : Website-IMDb.
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