In this action-packed serial, government agent Quentin Locke (Houdini) infiltrates a corrupt patents company, only to run into the gleaming terror of its robot protector, the Automaton. In order to save the beautiful Eva Brent (Marguerite Marsh) and find a cure for the dreaded Madagascar Madness, Locke suffers an inhuman array of tortures and physical restraints.

He is chained, tied with barbed wire, padlocked in a crate and thrown in the water, tied beneath a descending elevator, strapped to an electric chair, and bound in an elaborate Oriental torture chamber.

Written by Arthur B. Reeve (the creator of The Exploits of Elaine), The Master Mystery was a sensational hit throughout the U.S. and Europe and allowed the legendary escape artist to perform his miraculous feats before the eyes of millions.

Portions of The Master Mystery no longer survive today. This Kino edition runs almost four hours, and bridges the missing passages with explanatory text.

• An examination of scenes deleted by the New York Censor Board
• Image gallery
• New film notes