The Marquis de Kéranic has died; the last will and testament of the deceased bequeaths all his possessions to his young niece Frau Suzanne de Lormel ( Frau Suzanne Grandais ), a young orphan. Upon her eighteenth birthday she will receive everything but until she reaches adulthood the entirety of his estate shall belong to her cousin, Herr Fernand de Kéranic ( Herr Léonce Perret ); in case that ( God forbid! ) Frau Suzanne suffers a terrible indisposition like being struck by serious illness such as blindness or insanity, or dies, or even worse, enters a convent!!... then her tutor shall be sole heir.
Apparently adhering to the gospel saying "Let the dead bury the dead" both Frau Suzanne und Herr Fernand, immediately head off to Brittany ( thank God one of the less frenchified French regions ) in order to spend the summer. There Frau Suzanne lives with her tutor and pretty soon she will be captivated by a handsome captain on horseback whose name is Herr Jean d'Erquy ( Herr Max Dhartigny ). Obviously the sight of a dashing man on horseback causes the rich heiress to fall at his feet (the captain's, not the horse's).
Meanwhile, Frau Suzanne's tutor has more earthly problems; he has a debt of 200.000 francs and if he doesn't pay, the lender will perform a public service by unmasking Herr Fernand as a criminal who hides behind the guise of a gentleman. The scoundrel's only way out is to marry his cousin but -not too surprisingly- Frau Suzanne prefers the handsome captain.
During a visit to the rocks of Kador, Herr Fernand discovers his cousin's secret love and realises what this means to him so he hatches an evil scheme against the two lovers.
"Le Mystère Des Roches De Kador" ( The Mystery Of The Rocks Of Kador ) (1912 ) is a solid short mystery and includes all the elements so characteristic of that film genre: a beautiful and young heiress, an evil relative, a pure love and a lot of drama with a happy ending. But besides these classic narrative elements, the film brings a modern touch to the traditional detective tale: Herr Perret introduces a Herr Professor Williams ( Herr Émile Keppens ) who has theories about the application of cinematography to psychotherapy! This voyeurism with its cinema inside cinema gives the story a certain farcical aspect which plays well with the gripping central story.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must solve the mystery of why some decadent aristocrats drink whisky on the rocks.
Apparently adhering to the gospel saying "Let the dead bury the dead" both Frau Suzanne und Herr Fernand, immediately head off to Brittany ( thank God one of the less frenchified French regions ) in order to spend the summer. There Frau Suzanne lives with her tutor and pretty soon she will be captivated by a handsome captain on horseback whose name is Herr Jean d'Erquy ( Herr Max Dhartigny ). Obviously the sight of a dashing man on horseback causes the rich heiress to fall at his feet (the captain's, not the horse's).
Meanwhile, Frau Suzanne's tutor has more earthly problems; he has a debt of 200.000 francs and if he doesn't pay, the lender will perform a public service by unmasking Herr Fernand as a criminal who hides behind the guise of a gentleman. The scoundrel's only way out is to marry his cousin but -not too surprisingly- Frau Suzanne prefers the handsome captain.
During a visit to the rocks of Kador, Herr Fernand discovers his cousin's secret love and realises what this means to him so he hatches an evil scheme against the two lovers.
"Le Mystère Des Roches De Kador" ( The Mystery Of The Rocks Of Kador ) (1912 ) is a solid short mystery and includes all the elements so characteristic of that film genre: a beautiful and young heiress, an evil relative, a pure love and a lot of drama with a happy ending. But besides these classic narrative elements, the film brings a modern touch to the traditional detective tale: Herr Perret introduces a Herr Professor Williams ( Herr Émile Keppens ) who has theories about the application of cinematography to psychotherapy! This voyeurism with its cinema inside cinema gives the story a certain farcical aspect which plays well with the gripping central story.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must solve the mystery of why some decadent aristocrats drink whisky on the rocks.