# The Phantom Foe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Phantom_Foe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Phantom_Foe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_Foe > Source revision: 1339509764 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1920 film The Phantom Foe Advertisement Directed by Bertram Millhauser Written by George B. Seitz Frank Leon Smith Produced by George B. Seitz Starring Warner Oland Juanita Hansen Distributed by Pathé Exchange Astra Films Release date October 11, 1920 (1920-10-11) Running time 15 episodes Country United States Language Silent (English intertitles) ***The Phantom Foe*** is a 1920 American fifteen-chapter [adventure](/source/Adventure_film) [film serial](/source/Film_serial) directed by [Bertram Millhauser](/source/Bertram_Millhauser) and starring Warner Oland. A partial print of 14 episodes is in the [George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection](/source/George_Eastman_House_Motion_Picture_Collection)[1] while the 15th episode is stored in the Library of Congress. The plot involves a villainous mesmerist played by Harry Semels.[2] ## Plot A [film magazine](/source/Film_magazine)[3] described what happens in the first two episodes: **Episode 1**, Doom: Fear of an unknown menace grips Janet Dale (Hansen) as she hears the measured tread of a giant's feet. Bob Royal (Bailey), her fiance, asks who it is she fears. She explains that her father Jeremiah Dale (Goodwin) had been the unwitting cause of the death of the wife and brother of her uncle Leo Selkirk (Oland) years before by bringing about a massacre for unjustly punishing three Indians. Selkirk had sworn vengeance upon Jeremiah Dale, but years had passed and he had seemingly forgotten his oath. She had barely finished speaking when a lighting fixture fell from the ceiling, barely missing her. At her twenty-first birthday party Janet was speaking to her father when he vanishes before her eyes. Bob Royal sees a muffled figure slinking along in the shadow of the house and tries to capture him, but the figure escapes. That night Janet, unable to sleep, wanders into the library. In the ashes of the fireplace she finds three links of a gold chain and the imprint of a giant's foot. Meditating on these things she fails to hear the approach of the muffled figure, bent on attacking her. **Episode 2**, Disappearance of Janet Dale: The muffled figure attacks Janet, but is driven off by Bob Royal's approach. Later in the day Bob again sees the muffled figure. He grapples with the unknown person and a fight ensues with Bab being worsted when Steve Roycroft (McCutcheon), a scientific detective, and Janet arrive, causing the muffled figure to flee in an automobile. Janet finds a notebook belonging to her Uncle Leo. They return to the house and find Leo Selkirk, believed by Bob to be an enemy, and Janet's Cousin Esther (Cassavant). Leo admits ownership of the notebook and Bob believes his suspicions are being confirmed. On the following morning Janet's room is discovered empty. A note left by her says that it will be useless to try and find her. She had received a note saying that if she followed a designated man, she would be led to a place where she could find the answer to her puzzle. She is thus brought to a disreputable place and escorted to a dingy room. When she closes the door, the episode ends as she sees the muffled figure rise from a seat in the corner and advance towards her. ## Cast - [Warner Oland](/source/Warner_Oland) as Uncle Leo Selkirk - [Juanita Hansen](/source/Juanita_Hansen) as Janet Dale - Wallace McCutcheon Jr. as Steve Roycroft - [William Bailey](/source/William_Bailey_(actor)) as Bob Royal (credited as William Norton Bailey) - Nina Cassavant as Esther, Janet's Cousin - Tom Goodwin as Jeremiah Dale (credited as Thomas Goodwin) - [Harry Semels](/source/Harry_Semels) as The Phantom Foe - Joe Cuny as Andre Renoir - Al Franklin Thomas ## Chapter titles Newspaper ad for the serial 1. Doom 1. Disappearance of Janet Dale 1. Trail of the Wolf 1. The Open Window 1. The Tower Room 1. The Crystal Ball 1. Gun Fire 1. The Man Trap 1. The Mystic Summons 1. The Foe Unmasked 1. Through Prison Walls 1. Behind the Veil 1. Attack at the Inn 1. Confession 1. Retribution ## See also - [List of film serials](/source/List_of_film_serials) - [List of film serials by studio](/source/List_of_film_serials_by_studio) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Progressive Silent Film List: *The Phantom Foe*](http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/P/PhantomFoe1920.html) at silentera.com 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). *Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era*. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 229. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1936168-68-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1936168-68-2). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Reviews: *The Phantom Foe*"](https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald11exhi_1). *Exhibitors Herald*. **11** (17). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 89. October 23, 1920. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [The Phantom Foe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:The_Phantom_Foe). - [*The Phantom Foe*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011571/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Pathé Exchange serials With Wharton, Inc. (1914–1915) The Perils of Pauline The Exploits of Elaine The New Exploits of Elaine The Romance of Elaine With Astra Films (1916–1920) Pearl of the Army The Shielding Shadow The Fatal Ring The Hidden Hand Mystery of the Double Cross The Seven Pearls Hands Up The House of Hate Bound and Gagged The Lightning Raider Terror of the Range The Tiger's Trail Daredevil Jack The Phantom Foe Pirate Gold The Third Eye Trailed by Three With Ruth Roland Serials (1919-1924) The Adventures of Ruth Ruth of the Rockies The Avenging Arrow White Eagle The Timber Queen Haunted Valley Ruth of the Range Pathé Exchange Only (1921–1929) Double Adventure Her Dangerous Path The Fortieth Door Galloping Hoofs Into the Net Leatherstocking Ten Scars Make a Man The Way of a Man The Green Archer The House Without a Key Idaho Sunken Silver Wild West Play Ball The Bar C Mystery Casey of the Coast Guard The Fighting Marine Snowed In The Crimson Flash Hawk of the Hills The Masked Menace Melting Millions On Guard Eagle of the Night The Man Without a Face Mark of the Frog The Terrible People The Tiger's Shadow The Yellow Cameo The Black Book The Fire Detective Queen of the Northwoods Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Phantom Foe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_Foe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_Foe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.