AllMovie

Since he did not survive into the 1920s -- the golden era for silent movies -- few people today realize that Harold Lockwood was an extremely popular matinee idol. At the time of his death from influenza in 1918, he had several films in the can, which were released in the first few months of 1919. Judging from the plot alone, it's obvious that this melodrama was made before the end of World War I. Cyril Hammersley (Lockwood) is an Englishman engaged to an American girl, Doris Mathers (Naomi Childers). Doris does not understand why Hammersley isn't fighting for his country, and he can't explain that it's because he's a member of the secret service. Hammersley's jealous rival for Doris is Sir John Rizzio (Bigelow Cooper), who is also part of a German spy network. Rizzio tries to convince Doris that Hammersley is the one who's a tool of the Germans. Hammersley then gets his hands on a pack of cigarette papers bearing a secret code -- a message containing a plan to blow up London. The papers were meant for Rizzio, and he locks Hammersley away. Hammersley, however, has already given the papers to Doris, and Rizzio takes them from her by force. Doris calls on Scotland Yard for help and they retrieve the evil plans. Hammersley is freed and is reunited with Doris.