THE DRUMS OF JEOPARDY

US, 1931, 75 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warner Oland, June Colyier, Lloyd Hughes, Clara Blandik, Walter MacDonald?, Mischa Auer, Ernest Hillyard.
Directed by George B.Seitz.

Quite a title – it is the name of jewelry. The film was made in silent times and this is an early sound film, rather creaky in its performances and presentation and in its acting.

Of topical interest is that it opens during the reign of the Czars and moves then to the period after the Bolshevik revolution and aristocratic Russian refugees moving to Western Europe.

The film opens with a young woman having attempted suicide and not wanting her father to know. He is a scientist and, as we watch, a mad scientist played by Warner Oland. He was later to achieve fame as Charlie Chan in so many films. His assistant is played by the actor Mischa Auer, sometimes serious, sometimes comic in films throughout the 30s and into the 1940s. The father gets news that his daughter is dying, comes to see her, very contrived death scene and his overwrought grief. However, she has some jewels, the Drums of Jeopardy. She is trying to conceal the identity of the man who seduced her.

The doctor’s character name in the film is of all names, Dr Boris Karlov. He makes it his life work to pursue the actual family, the father, the two sons, one of whom has to be the target of his vengeance. A message with a jewel will presage death.

He sets up a laboratory outside Russia, the Petroff family come as refugees and the film is mainly about the doctor’s confrontation with the Prince, abducting him, and the two sons. One takes flight and is sheltered by a young woman who is sympathetic whereas her aunt, a harridan, is upset at being disturbed during the night. And the police are also involved.

The film builds up to a climax, one brother betrays the other, the police and the aunt go to the laboratory and confront the mad doctor, he imprisons the younger couple and threatens to kill them. He calculates that the young man will try to escape, try to break through the wall which actually opens onto a huge tank of water which then will drown them.

There are some exciting shenanigans in the confrontation, the role of the police, shootings – and the rescue of the couple as well as preventing the mad doctor from further violence is all handled by the aunt and the handle of her umbrella!
Historical curiosity item.