Name: The Americano
Released: 1917
Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Alma Reubens, Spottiswood Aitken, Carl Stockdale, Tote Du Crow

Brief Synopsis

Doug is an American mining engineer. Pres. Valdez of Paragonia (Aitken) wants him to reopen the country's mines. Doug is not interested ... until he sees the President's beautiful daughter, Juana (Rubens). Valdez returns to Paragonia, but is deposed by Generals Sanchez and Garcia and locked in San Mateo Prison. The Americano arrives. His company's local office has been ransacked, but he finds loyal Negro caretaker Dan (Wilson) in hiding there. He is contacted by former Prime Minister Castille, now in disguise as a peddler... Valdez writes the mysterious date "23 Noviembre 1899" on scraps of paper which are then thrown from the prison window as garbage. Juana checks her father's diary. That date contains an account of a successful escape from San Mateo, using the secret tunnel! But Garcia demands that Juana marry him the next day or Valdez will die...

Cast & Crew

Film Details

Release Date

Jan 28, 1917

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Fine Arts Film Co.

Distribution Company

Triangle Distributing Corp.

Country

United States

Screenplay Information

Based on the novel Blaze Derringer by Eugene P. Lyle (New York, 1910).

Technical Specs

Sound

Silent

Color

Black and White

Film Length

5 reels

Synopsis

At first reluctant to leave New York and accept a job as the manager of the American Mining Company located in the South American country of Paragonia, Blaze Derringer changes his mind as soon as he meets Juana de Castalar, the beautiful daughter of Paragonia's president. When he arrives in Paragonia, however, Derringer discovers that Juana is being held prisoner in her home by Salza Espada, the usurping war minister, while her father awaits his death in a seaside jail. Juana tries to send Derringer coded messages for help, but he, too, has been arrested by Espada. To secure his release, Derringer agrees to make a public announcement that Juana and Espada are to marry at ten o'clock and that the mines will be reopened under Espada's control. Once free, Derringer executes a bold last-minute rescue of Presidente Castalar and helps to thwart the coup attempt and reinstate Castalar. From the palace balcony, Derringer announces to the crowd below his commitment to reopen the mines as well as his engagement to Señorita Juana.

Director

John Emerson

Director

Cast

Douglas Fairbanks

Blaze Derringer

Alma Reubens

Juana de Castalar

Spottiswood Aitken

Presidente Hernando de Castalar

Carl Stockdale

Salza Espada

Tote Du Crow

Alberto de Castille

Charlie Stevens

Colonel Gargaras

Lillian Langdon

Señora de Castille

Tom Wilson

"Whitey"

Crew