| Whose Was the Hand? | |
| Director: | Alfred Rolfe |
| Starring: | Charles Villiers |
| Cinematography: | A. O. Segerberg |
| Studio: | Australian Photo-Play Company |
| Released: | 25 June 1912 (Sydney)[1] 4 July 1912 (Melbourne) |
| Runtime: | 3,000 feet (over 60 mins)[2] |
| Language: | Silent film English intertitles |
| Country: | Australia |
Whose Was the Hand? is a 1912 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe. It is considered a lost film.[3] [4]
A young man is heavily in debt and decides to get out of it by robbing his uncle. He does this with a criminal accomplice. During the course of the robbery, the uncle enters and fights with the nephew. The nephew kills his uncle and wipes his blood stained hands on the panel of the door.
The uncle's secretary is first on the scene and is arrested. However fingerprints of the blood stained hands do not match. Detective Sharp investigates further, leading him to the nephew, whose finger prints do match. The film ends with the rescue of the murdered man's daughter from a burning building, and the arrest of the murderer's accomplices.[5]
An important scene involves a burning building where a lady is rescued.[6]
The chapter headings were:
The film was shot in Sydney.[8]
One critic said "the production was one of exceptional excellence. For clever acting, extensive staging, daring effects and quality of photography, the film stands as a masterpiece."[9]