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The Black Masks
Also known as Unmasked in the USA : [Diamond Cut Diamond]
(1913) United States of America
B&W : Two reels
Directed by [?] Francis Ford and/or Grace Cunard?
Cast: Francis Ford [Fred J. Francis, a gentleman thief], Grace Cunard [Meg, another thief], Harry Schumm [a detective], Edgar M. Keller (Edgar Keller) [a detective], [?] ? [Tony Jeanette, the speed demon racer]
New York Motion Picture Company production; distributed by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated [101-Bison]. / Produced by [?] Thomas H. Ince and/or Francis Ford?. Scenario by Grace Cunard and Francis Ford. / Released 28 October 1913. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The film was edited to one reel and rereleased as Unmasked by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated [Rex] in 1917.
Drama: Crime.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? At a big automobile race one of the winning drivers, Tony Jeanette, is given an invitation to a masked ball to take place that evening at the home of the wealthy Mrs. Montague. In haste, he drops the invitation, which is found by F.J. Francis, a society crook, and also read by Meg, another gentile crook. Knowing of the wonderful necklace of Mrs. Montague, they both decide to attend the ball in an effort to steal same, unknown to each other. At the ball Meg is seen masked, watching every chance to get the necklace, but Francis is more clever and gets away with it. The diamond is missed. Two society detectives at the ball follow Francis’ cab, which he jumps out of while going at high speed, leaving his cane inside the cab. Meg follows Francis unknown to anyone, and succeeds in getting into his apartments. Francis discovers her and shows her the diamonds, which she tries to get. After she has gone, he misses his watch, which she has cleverly taken to yet even. In the meantime the detectives have gotten up with Francis’ cab and discover it is empty, but find his cane with his monogram (F.J.H.) [sic] on. They find the jeweler who made the cane, and find from him the club to which Francis belongs. Going there they discover Francis, but are not sure of him, as they only saw him at the ball and he was masked. They ask for a light and cigarette, and see the same monogram on his ring and cigarette case, and arrest him as the thief. Meg hears of his arrest and attends his trial, when he is pronounced guilty. Going to his cell, she offers to help him if she can. He tells her where he has bidden them, and she goes to his apartment, gets the jewels from their hiding place in the wastebasket, and stealing into Mrs. Montague’s boudoir, places the jewels where she finds them later, and phones the police of their discovery. Francis is released. He and Meg marry and give up all of their ill-gotten gain to the society of the orphans. The last scene shows them looking at the bank balance of $10.00, but happy in their love and promise of a better life.
Survival status: Print exists in the George Eastman Museum film archive [35mm positive (1917 one-reel abridged rerelease version)] and (New York University William K. Everson collection) [16mm reduction positive].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 27 July 2024.
References: Film credits, film viewing : ClasIm-224 pp. 42, 44; ClasIm-311 p. 16 : Website-IMDb.
Home video: Blu-ray Disc, DVD.
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