This comedy thriller was originally titled FOOLS IN A FOG before being released as a silent film with talking sequences in 1928. What exists is about 40 minutes, missing the first 2 reels and the actual ending.
Story has Bob (Conrad Nagel) visiting his mother's houseboat one night and coming across a pair of burglars (May McAvoy and Charles K. Gerrard) after a famous string of pearls. How they know they are there, we don't know, since the beginning of the film is missing. As Nagel and Gerrard start to fight, an elderly couple walks in on them. They claim to be guests of the boat's owner, Mrs. Pelton (not Vickers). Of course they are crooks too, also after the pearls. They have no idea who Nagel is, so he claims to be a butler married to McAvoy the maid.
Of course Nagel and McAvoy fall for each other and each admits this is their first burglary. As the pearls are discovered and hidden over and over again by the various people, in walk a pair of detectives (Mack Swain and Hugh Herbert) who apparently are there to guard the pearls. A thick fog settles in and traps everyone aboard the houseboat. The bumblers start telling blowhard stories about their adventures, one of which is their capture of "Silk Shirt Harry" who of course is McAvoy's partner in crime (now posing as the cook).
Things reach a comic pitch when Swain decides each guest must strip so they can find the pearls once and for all. As McAvoy and Nagel hide behind a curtain, they start disrobing and throwing the clothing at Swain. McAvoy finds a suitcase of clothing and starts pelting Swain with various articles. As the clothing mounts up around a perplexed Swain, in walks Mrs. Pelton who demands that her son explain who all these people are. Film seems to end when Nagel defends McAvoy as the woman who has stolen his heart.
If there's anything after that, it's missing along with the opening reels. Seems like a fun little film, and it's a shame some of it is missing.
Note: Swain and Herbert show a business card identifying themselves as Krausschmidt and MacDonald. They are called Ryan and Riley in the credits here. The elderly couple, played by Emile Chautard and Ruth Cherrington call themselves Mr. and Mrs. Voisin.
Story has Bob (Conrad Nagel) visiting his mother's houseboat one night and coming across a pair of burglars (May McAvoy and Charles K. Gerrard) after a famous string of pearls. How they know they are there, we don't know, since the beginning of the film is missing. As Nagel and Gerrard start to fight, an elderly couple walks in on them. They claim to be guests of the boat's owner, Mrs. Pelton (not Vickers). Of course they are crooks too, also after the pearls. They have no idea who Nagel is, so he claims to be a butler married to McAvoy the maid.
Of course Nagel and McAvoy fall for each other and each admits this is their first burglary. As the pearls are discovered and hidden over and over again by the various people, in walk a pair of detectives (Mack Swain and Hugh Herbert) who apparently are there to guard the pearls. A thick fog settles in and traps everyone aboard the houseboat. The bumblers start telling blowhard stories about their adventures, one of which is their capture of "Silk Shirt Harry" who of course is McAvoy's partner in crime (now posing as the cook).
Things reach a comic pitch when Swain decides each guest must strip so they can find the pearls once and for all. As McAvoy and Nagel hide behind a curtain, they start disrobing and throwing the clothing at Swain. McAvoy finds a suitcase of clothing and starts pelting Swain with various articles. As the clothing mounts up around a perplexed Swain, in walks Mrs. Pelton who demands that her son explain who all these people are. Film seems to end when Nagel defends McAvoy as the woman who has stolen his heart.
If there's anything after that, it's missing along with the opening reels. Seems like a fun little film, and it's a shame some of it is missing.
Note: Swain and Herbert show a business card identifying themselves as Krausschmidt and MacDonald. They are called Ryan and Riley in the credits here. The elderly couple, played by Emile Chautard and Ruth Cherrington call themselves Mr. and Mrs. Voisin.
