Title: A Tattered Web
Year: 1920
Genres: Crime; Drama
Director: Wesley Ruggles

Cast:

• Alice Lake as Marion Darling
• George Hernández as James Darling
• George Chesebro as “Red” Dawson
• Edward Cecil as Victor Martin
• Béla Lugosi as The Professor
• John Steppling as Detective Morton

Synopsis:

Marion Darling, heiress to a vast fortune, becomes entangled in a criminal conspiracy when she discovers that family lawyer Victor Martin is embezzling her inheritance. As Martin’s accomplice “Red” Dawson closes in, Marion seeks help from retired detective Morton. Their investigation leads them through the underworld’s tangled network—coded messages, stolen jewels, and secret hideouts—culminating in a midnight showdown at an abandoned warehouse. With Morton’s cunning and Marion’s bravery, they outwit the conspirators and recover the stolen funds, restoring justice and securing Marion’s future.

Trivia:

• One of the earliest surviving American crime thrillers, notable for its use of expressive lighting and shadow.
• Béla Lugosi appears in a rare pre–Dracula role as a cunning criminologist called “The Professor.”
• The film was shot on location in the alleys and docks of Los Angeles, lending authentic atmosphere.
• Original tinting effects (blue night scenes, sepia interiors) have been painstakingly restored in modern prints.