Lost1915Thanhouser CompanyOne reelDrama

A Newspaper Nemesis

Name: A Newspaper Nemesis
Genre: Drama
Released: 1915-02-28

No copy you can watch online. No print is known to survive. What follows is what does: the release, the cast, the story, and what the trade press said at the time.

The story

“Spike, the desperate character, wanted by the police, breaks into a jewelry store in the early morning, where he is surprised by Smith, the proprietor. The crook kills the jeweler and makes his escape. The authorities are completely at a loss to trace the murderer. Molly Sayre, a reporter, intensely pitying Smith’s widow and child, determines herself to bring the guilty man to justice. In disguise she frequents the slums of the town, where she meets Spike. Instantly she suspects him. At last she wins from him a confession, and he shows her the plunder. But the crook suddenly is seized with distrust of Molly. He lays hands on her—and she barely is saved by the timely arrival of Sergeant Jack Grant, who loves her and has been following her for her own protection. Molly gets a clean scoop for her paper. Grant receives credit for a daring arrest, and he and Molly are married.”

Summary from Reel Life · 20 February 1915

What the papers said

2 reviews · 1 article · 2 advertisements

“Molly is put on the murder case. She suspects Spike. He confesses. Her detective lover is given credit for the arrest, and she gets a scoop for her paper.”

The Morning Telegraph · 28 February 1915

“This begins with a safe cracking and murder in a darkened room. Molly, the girl reporter, takes up the case and locates the murderer in a saloon back room. Later she causes his arrest. A conventional newspaper story of fair strength.”

The Moving Picture World · 6 March 1915

Article

20 February 1915Reel Life1 min

“Peggy Burke is starring in A Newspaper Nemesis, which proves that this clever little actress is capable of much bigger things than any she has yet recorded. The story is thrilling from start to finish, and Miss Burke says that she revels in playing detective parts. A new play in preparation is A Cure for Jealousy, under the direction of Carroll Fleming, in which Miss Burke is featured opposite Arthur Ashley. The scenario department has its orders to turn out several scripts especially for the new leading woman, who, before her advent in pictures, was one of the famous beauties in artistic circles. She has posed for Harrison Fisher, Henry Hutt, Hamilton King and Coles Phillips. Her hair is glossy black and her eyes under their heavy black lashes are sea blue.”

Note: A Cure for Jealousy was released under the title of Jealousy on March 26, 1915.

Advertisements2 · 20 February 1915 – 27 February 1915

20 February 1915Reel Life1 min

“A thrilling and romantic story of a young newspaper woman’s adventures in trailing and capturing a desperate criminal, in the end losing her heart and hand to a dashing sergeant of police. Peggy Burke and Harris Gordon are the principals.”

27 February 1915The Moving Picture World1 min

“Everybody admires the girl reporter. This drama in which the wit and courage of Molly Sayre brings a murderer to justice and incidentally wins a scoop for the paper and a husband for herself, teems with new startling situations that will hold any audience breathless.”

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Cast and crew

Director: John Harvey
Cast: Ernest C. Warde as Spike, a burglar
: Harris Gordon as Sgt. Jack Grant
: J.S. Murray as Mike, his pal
: James S. Murray
: John Lehnberg
: Julie Cruze as Smith’s child
: Mrs. S. Sullivan as Mrs. Smith
: Peggy Burke as Molly Sayre, reporter-detective

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More about this film

From Volume II: Filmography of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. Read the history of 1915 →

Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “A Newspaper Nemesis”. thanhouser.org/films/a-newspaper-nemesis/

Where a print is held

Held by: No print known