Reel Life (1916-1917)

“THE POISON MAN”— “VAMPIRES” “ Venenos" a new arch¬ villain enters the thrilling HERE is a devilish ingenuity in the villainy of Venenos, new head of “The Vampires,” who makes his bow in Episode 8 of that ex¬ traordinary series, being released by the Mu¬ tual Film Corporation. Satanas, former head of the Parisian apache gang that includes scientists, statesmen, crookeu business men and plotting diplomats in its clientele, left a legacy of trouble to Venenos when he killed himself rather than be captured. It was Venenos who because of his scientific attainments had been delegated by Satanas to accomplish the destruction of the government tender upon which Irma Vep, feminine head of “The Vampires,” had been dispatched to Algeria to testify in a military hearing against certain spies. Irma’s extraordinary escape, due to the genius of Satanas and the scientific juggling of Venenos, was compassed at the expense of the late chief, who poisoned himself rather than be taken. Now the situation confronting Venenos was one of extra¬ ordinary peril. Despite all plans of the powerful gang plot¬ ting against him, Philip Guard, the young reporter whose i brave pursuit had resulted already in the deaths of three of its leaders, had succeeded in eluding assassins sent against him, as often by good luck as by good planning. Now there was an opportunity for Venenos to distinguish himself by eliminating not only Guard but all the rest of the journal¬ istic crowd with which he was associated. When the fact came to Venenos’ knowledge that Guard was to be married soon and that a betrothal dinner had been arranged at the home of the fiancee, Venenos at once notified the caterer that the dinner had been postponed one day and proceeded to impersonate the caterer and his staff with a force of his own. An intensely dramatic spectacle is presented in the sudden arrest of a toast about to be drunk by the guests at the betrothal party. A bottle of the wine furnished by Venenos’ agents has been sent to the concierge of the building in which the party is being held, in order that his family may cele¬ brate the event. At the first sip of this wine the janitor falls dead and his wife rushes into the banquet room just in time to stop the guests from drinking the wine raised to their lips in a toast to the bride to be. Immediately the poisoned wine is removed and pursuit of Venenos and Irma Vep, who has been the direct planner of the affair, is resumed. Irma had taken apartments in the same building with Guard’s fiancee in order that she might have easier access to the apartments. Irma escapes from the building after a close chase and is at once sequestered by “The Vampires,” who realize that since their plans have miscarried police supervision of their activities will become more stringent than ever. When Irma has been hidden in her apartment and guards have been placed by “The Vampires” to prevent her being surprised, information is carried to her over the roof of the building by one of her friends that Guard and his future wife are to start for .a villa at Chailly in an automobile. Risking capture she possesses herself of an atomizer filled with a powerful anaesthetic and lies in wait for the limou¬ sine in which the lovers are to begin their journey. When triangle Juliet Musidora in scene front “The Poison Man.’’ the machine arrives at Guard’s apartment there is a big wardrobe trunk strapped on the running board. From this trunk steps Normandin, Guard’s Fidus Achates, as Irma begins spraying the inside of the car with chloroform. Normandin affected by a shot from the atomizer, is overpowered by Irma and she hides herself in the trunk, being carried to Chailly without her presence being sus¬ pected. The young woman who has been rendered uncon¬ scious by the chloroform is immured by Irma but later re¬ leased by Philip Guard and Normandin, who has succeeded in making his escape from “ 1 he Vampires.” The capture of “The Vampire” woman and her later release after a hard fight by Venenos and his friends, form sensational episodes in the story, which is one of the most exciting so far released in the fascinating series produced by the Gaumont company. REEL LIFE — Page Five