The Prince of Pep (1925)/Hidden Aces (1927) (Silent Action Double Feature)

The Prince of Pep (1925): Dr. James Leland is a wealthy physician engaged to nurse Marion Nord. Working late at the hospital, he catches his assistant, Hugh Powell, stealing a supply of cocaine. The thief knocks James unconscious and dumps his body in the river. The doctor survives, but is stricken with amnesia. He takes on the identity of 'The Black X', a masked vigilante who comes to aid of the poor and suffering. His altruistic activities bring him to the attention of Powell, who has become a drug lord. Learning his old boss is really the Black X, Powell kidnaps Marion to draw him out of hiding. With the helpless girl dangling from the Empire State Building, the masked man races to save her before it's too late...even if he can't remember who she is!

Born Sylvester Alphonse Metz in Germany, Richard Talmadge (1892-1981) was a boy acrobat before breaking into Hollywood as a stuntman, doubling for superstar Douglas Fairbanks. His good looks and remarkable athleticism soon made him the leading man in a series of stunt pictures that he produced himself. In The Prince of Pep, Talmadge not only scales apartment buildings and leaps from rooftop to rooftop, he also gets to parody his old friend Fairbanks as Zorro. Nola Luxford (1901-1994) famously seduced Harold Lloyd in Girl Shy (1924) and was the lover of author Zane Grey.

Starring Richard Talmadge, Nola Luxford. Directed by Jack Nelson.

Hidden Aces (1927): Larry 'Hutch' Hutchdale, gentleman thief, is keeping an eye on the newly-arrived Princess Orloff of Russia...and not just because of her curvaceous figure. The woman's jewel necklace is worth a fortune. But her secretary, Natalie Kingston, is secretly a famed cat burglar, and wants the necklace for herself. The two thieves outwit each other at every turn, all the while realizing they're a perfect match. But the star-crossed lovers have a surprise on their hands when they realize the jewels are a fake, and the princess an imposter! Hidden Aces was Charles Hutchison's seventh and final appearance as 'Hutch' Hutchdale, the character he originated in 1921's Hurricane Hutch.

Starring Charles Hutchison, Alice Calhoun. Directed by Howard Mitchell.

• silent