The Motor Boat Bandits (1915)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Comedy, Short
Release: 1915-06-25
Director: Fred Kelsey
Writers: N/A
Language: None | English
Stars: Irene Hunt , Felix Modjeska , Catherine Henry , Ben Lewis
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Motor Boat Bandits , The Motor Boat Bandits (United States of America)
Plot: Jane Pepper, reporter on the Record, goes to the beach for a week's rest. The adjoining cottage is occupied by two men and a woman, who try to be friendly with Jane and seem quite nice people. One afternoon Jane meets a young man on the pier, Bob Warren, and they engage in conversation. Jane recognizes him as a young detective, shows him her reporter's badge, and he confesses who he is. He tells her he has been down here for the past two weeks trying to locate some motorboat bandits, who have been looting a number of fine summer homes, making their escape each time in a fast motorboat. Just then two young men pass in bathing suits. Bob attracts Jane's attention to them and tells her he suspects them. She says, "Why, they live next door to my cottage." Bob suggests they walk to her home and see if they can investigate anything. They arrive at Jane's cottage, and notice the woman next door sitting on her porch. Bob arranges to meet Jane at the dance hall that evening, but in the meantime he will investigate things next door. Bob goes to the crook's cottage on the pretext of looking for a room. Bob talks with the crook's wife and she takes him into the house to show him rooms. He then tries to force the woman to tell him about her men folks. While talking the two bathers enter. A fight ensues, in which Bob is overpowered, bound and gagged and is hid in a closet. That evening Jane goes to the dance hall but Bob does not show up, and she returns to her cottage. The two men next door are sitting on their porch. Jane passes in her house as though to retire, but watches from her window. About 12:00 she sees the two men next door leave with an extra man who is heavily coated. They leave the house stealthily and go to a nearby wharf and leave in a launch. She hurries over to the next house, and at the point of a gun, compels the woman to tell who the extra man is and where the launch is going. She then rushes out, finds an officer and some life-saving men and they pursue the bandits in a faster motorboat. The crooks plan to drop the detective overboard near the breakers. Suddenly one of them notices they are followed. Jane's boat whistles for them to stop but they only answer by firing their guns and proceed faster. Jane's launch comes alongside and the officers engage in a hand-to-hand fight with the crooks and overpower them. Some of them jump overboard but are caught and bound. While the crooks are taken back under guard, Jane and Bob sit in the rear of the boat and talk over future plans.
IMDB:tt0820967