But, he got some anyway, mostly courtesy of his brothers, the Metzetti's, in this 21st of the 69 Universal sound-era serials. And still did many of his own. Richard Talmadge, one of the greats among stunt people, was a high-energy performer who never walked when he could run and never ran when he could leap and seemed to never land without executing a somersault and a couple of vaults thrown in for good measure.
And action over acting was his forte and this has more of the latter than it does the former, discounting William Desmond's usual scenery chewing. Adventurer Dick Moreland (Richard Talmadge) makes the announcement, during a reception at the Aeroclub, that he is going to search for a treasure buried on a tropical island by one of his piratical ancestors.
But criminal lawyer Stanley Brasset (Walter Miller) decides to steal Moreland's map and go after the treasure himself. Despite the help of his henchmen---Curt (Ethan Laidlaw), Tony (Al Ferguson), Bert (Edmund Cobb) and Jed (George DeNormand), and henchwoman Marge (Beulah Hutton), often found woman-henching in Universal serials, Brassett's efforts to get the map fail. His motley crew also fails to sabotage Moreland's boat-schooner, but were still better at henching than their brethren in Columbia serials later turned out to be.
But once upon the island, Brasset & Company do manage to steal the treasure...but then are promptly attacked and captured by the island's natives. Figures. Now, Dick has to get the treasure back and also rescue Brasset and his employees. Northwestern's Lucille Lund is along for decoration purposes.
