Die weißen Rosen

This is the only detective film with silent era's star Asta Nielsen. It is also a story about a beginning liaison which is jeopardized by a crime.

Act 1. Adam, the son of Count de Rochard, is in love with Thilda, an actress. Everyday he waits before the theater to bestow a bouquet of White Roses to her.

One day, she tells him that she has got an engagement in Ostend, but is lacking the necessary adornment. Adam talks to his father and he gets a brooch with precious jewels leased from him.

Having arrived in a hotel in Ostend (separate rooms), a Gentlemen thief ("Lord Kelvin") and his comrade observe and get in contact with them. They engage a hotel maid for informing them and helping to steal the brooch, which is in a jewel case in Thilda's room. Eventually they manage to make a copy of the key of the case.

Act. 2. One of the thieves invites them for a trip by car to the countryside. Meanwhile Kelvin enters the room, takes the brooch and brings it to a receiver of stolen goods who replaces the jewels with faked ones. Back in the hotel, Thilda is already back from the trip in her room and it seems impossible to put the brooch into the case. But once more a bouquet of WHITE ROSES is brought, and Kelvin can hide the brooch in-between the flowers, and the maid puts it into that case.

Act 3. Count de Rochard is short of money and sends a telegram to his son, directing him to bring back the brooch for selling the jewels. His son returns, and at the jeweller's, the stones are found to be faked. Thilda is suspected of having done that and detectives are sent to investigate in Ostend. Adam informs her that this is the end of the relationship, but responds that she wants to see him again.

Both Thilda and "Kelvin" are at a ball, while the detectives arrive and surround that hall. Kelvin sees that they check everybody leaving the hall, and tries to hide again the jewels in a bouquet of WHITE ROSES. He engages Thilda to throw the flowers through the window, when he will be passing by in a car.

Will Thilda really help the thief to escape and thus be caught?

Asta Nielsen has a theater run in Ostend in the summer. She tells her boyfriend, Count Ernst Hoffmann, that she lacks the jewelry to make a good appearance. So he borrows his grandmother's jewels and accompanies her. But there is a gang of crooks at the hotel, and they steal the jewelry and replace the gems with paste. When Hoffmann's family has to sell the jewels for cash, he returns with them. The 'substitution is discovered, and he breaks off their relationship by letter, accusing her of swindling him.

Although released in 1916, this was shot in 1914, and held up by the censors for a couple of years. I believe it was extensively reshot; Gad and Miss Nielsen had separated in 1915, and she doesn't have much to do in this movie; her reaction to Hoffmann's letter is the one piece of acting. Otherwise, she's gadding about a bit, and trying to hold off Hoffmann's amorous acts. There's also no sign of anything to do with the stage. Watching the crooks at work is good, but if you're expecting Miss Nielsen to do anything to clear her reputation, you'll be disappointed.