The Man from Headquarters

"The Man from Headquarters" (1928) is a sp(ies)-versus-g-man silent with Cornelius Keefe, Edith Roberts, Lloyd Whitlock, Charles West, Joseph P. Mack, Ludwig Lowry, and a couple of others. Lasting only 60 minutes, this one pulls out all the stops and roars through the plot with everything from trains and spies and murder to guns and girls and, yes, really, a sword fight - one of the best dueling scenes I've seen in a long time! Edith Roberts is stunningly beautiful, and she plays at being a Countess when in reality she's a country's spy who's after money to keep the government of her country from falling to pieces and the people going more hungry than they're already going. Keefe, a seemingly tall and very dapper "man from headquarters" is the American foil to the foreign intrigue. He falls for Roberts, she for him, but how can this be? I said he was "seemingly" tall because Roberts was a whole 5' tall, if that...

Really good little actioner that gives us all the tricks, nothing new at all, something that looks like a decent hour of television today, but used every trope that had ever been used in all the genres to get it done. It was a very fun watch. One could figure out what would happen nearly from the beginning, but it was a hoot watching it get there. The duel wasn't Flynn versus Rathbone, but it was really well done. And it was 1928! Swords. Oh, well, "Why not?" asked the director, Duke Worne. An Alpha Video release with Alpha Video quality...

"Man from Headquarters" is a solid, if quite old-fashioned, silent melodrama that most fans of the silents should enjoy. It has a fast-paced story with action, intrigue, and romance, much like many others of its era, but still entertaining.

The plot devices are all fairly routine, but Cornelius Keefe and Edith Roberts carry the show, as the heroic detective and the beautiful countess who may not be all that she seems. They show a genuine attraction to each other even as they try to outwit one another.

As with so many silent films, the surviving print has noticeable imperfections, and it is sometimes hard to read the smaller writing, not just in the credits but also at some parts of the plot. So the film is probably best enjoyed by those who are used to watching older films, and who won't be distracted by these blemishes.

But if you do enjoy silent melodramas, "Man From Headquarters" will give you an hour or so of solid entertainment.