Officer '444', Volume 1 (Chapters 1-5) (1926) (Silent) (DVD)

A devious and hideous criminal mastermind, "The Frog", steals a newly-discovered radioactive element. With this deadly substance at his disposal, the insane genius can now destroy the world! Called in to stop the madman is "Officer 444", a mystery man culled from the ranks of the New York Police Department. Trained to the peak of human perfection, 444 is the only one with the skills to track down the Frog. But with the clock of doom ticking, he must act fast...

This stunt-packed silent serial is Directed by Francis Ford, the older brother of Western legend John Ford. Leading man Ben F. Wilson's career went back to the days of Edison films, but he found his greatest success in the realm of movie serials. Some of his most notable chapter plays include The Brass Bullet (1918; he also directed) and The Trail of the Octopus (1919). His popularity was so great that he even received his own trading card as part of a promotion with Piedmont Cigarettes. After making one talkie, the Buck Jones western Shadow Ranch (1930), Wilson died of complications from heart disease at the age of 54. Showing up at one point to commend 444 is real-life criminology expert August Vollmer, considered by many to be the father of modern law enforcement. In fifteen years, Vollmer would fall from grace when he was exposed as a Nazi sympathizer and member of the German-American Bund.

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