The Brass Bullet (1918)

Jack Mulhall and Juanita Hansen were the stars of the silent American serial The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918) produced by Universal. The serial deals with a convoluted and complicated plot, but the basis is the hunt by Spring Gilbert (Joseph W. Girard) and Victor King (Ashton Dearholt) for the heritage of Rosalind Joy (Juanita Hansen) after her uncle Homer Joy (Charles Hill Mailes) has been killed. Gilbert and King will use all means to make sure they get the heritage. Yet, Jack James (Jack Mulhall) and a Mystery Man (Hallam Cooley) come to the rescue. In this post, we tell the tragic story of the serial's leading lady Juanita Hansen, who was a popular serial queen in the late 1910s and early 1920s.


British postcard in the "Pictures" Portrait Gallery, London, no. 169. Juanita Hansen.


British postcard in the "Pictures" Portrait Gallery, London, no. 25. Photo: The Trans-Atlantic Film Co. (Universal's European distribution brand). Jack Mulhall.

Serial Queen at Universal

Juanita Hansen was born in 1895 in Des Moines, Iowa, or Wisconsin.

In 1914 at age 16, Hansen made her film debut with Frank Baum's Oz Film Productions, but soon stepped over to Triangle. Under D.W. Griffith's supervision, she acted in The Martyrs of the Alamo (Christy Cabanne, 1915).

In the same year, she also starred in the 15-part serial The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1915), produced by American Film and, like the Triangle films, distributed by Mutual.

Hansen also worked for Famous Players and Morosco Productions, both distributed by Paramount. In 1916, she joined Mack Sennett's Bathing Beauties troupe, and acted in several short comedies at Keystone/ Triangle Studios, including comedies with Douglas Fairbanks.

In 1918, Hansen left for Universal Studios where she became a serial queen in The Brass Bullet (Ben Wilson, 1918). After several Universal films in 1919, she starred again in a serial, The Lost City (1920), now at Selig and distributed by Warner. Eventually, the serial was re-released as a feature as well, entitled The Jungle Princess. The success also led to two Pathé serials, The Phantom Foe (1920) and The Yellow Arm (1921).


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 7 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918). Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce. Here, left of Jack Mulhall, Joseph W. Girard as Spring Gilbert. The man far left may be Ashton Dearholt as Victor King.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 23 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918), starring Jack Mulhall and Juanita Hansen. Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 32 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918). Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce. Here, left of Jack Mulhall, possibly Joseph W. Girard as Spring Gilbert. The minister left of him was played by Charles Force. The man on the right may be Ashton Dearholt, who plays Victor King.

A life of mischief

Very well paid, Juanita Hansen began a life of mischief. She had a penchant for fast cars and was being constantly arrested for speeding) and loved all-night partying. She turned to drugs, cocaine in particular. Pathé stopped working with her and her career came to a standstill in 1923.

That year, Hansen went into rehab and did a touring lecture afterwards to warn against the danger of drugs. Yet, her addiction and misery weren't over.

In 1928, following an accident in which she almost died from an outburst of scalding steam in her hotel room, she was treated with morphine and remained addicted. Her descent into hell continued. 

Despite being granted over 100,000 dollars in damage repair after a years-long trial, she became penniless because of her addiction. In 1938 she wrote the book 'The Conspiracy of Silence', arguing that drug addicts should be sent to specialized medical institutions for treatment instead of being sent to prison. 

Her life took another turn for the worse in 1941 when she attempted suicide by an overdose of sleeping pills. Juanita Hansen ended her life as a clerk for a railroad company and she died of a heart attack in 1961 in Los Angeles, California.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 37 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from the American serial The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918), starring Jack Mulhall and Juanita Hansen. The man on the left may be Ashton Dearholt, who plays Victor King.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 48 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from the American serial The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918), starring Jack Mulhall and Juanita Hansen. Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce. Here, left of Hansen, possibly Joseph W. Girard as Spring Gilbert. The man on the right may be Ashton Dearholt, who plays Victor King.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 50 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from the American serial The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918). Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce. Ep. 4, reel 2. The man dying in the quicksand.


Spanish cromo card by Chocolate Pi, Barcelona, no. 54 of 54. Photo: Distr. J. Verdaguer / Universal / The Trans-Atlantico Co. Scene from the American serial The Brass Bullet (Ben F. Wilson, 1918), starring Jack Mulhall and Juanita Hansen. Spanish release title: La Bala de Bronce. Here, the man in the middle is Harry Dunkinson, who plays Dr. Canfield.

Sources: Wikipedia (English and French) and IMDb.

The Secret of the Submarine (1916)

Ivo Blom collected this large series of Spanish minicards, made for the lost American serial The Secret of the Submarine (1916). The director of this silent serial was George L. Sargent and the star was serial queen Juanita Hansen. The Secret of the Submarine was produced by the American Film Company and distributed by Mutual. Amatller Marca Luna in Barcelona published the minicards.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 1. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 3. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Hugh Bennett as inventor Dr. Ralph Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 4. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 6. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) works on his submarine invention in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 9. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) demonstrates his new submarine invention to Lt. Hope (Tom Chatterton), 'Hook' Barnacle (George Clancey), and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen).

He previously had his right hand torn off by a shark

The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) was an American serial of 15 episodes. The serial started to run in the United States on 22 March 1916, according to IMDb and other sources. Wikipedia writes the date was 22 March 1915. The European release was much later, e.g. 1918-1920 in Italy and 1921 in Denmark. All episodes are considered to be lost.

Secret of the Submarine was written by war correspondent Richard Barry in the lead-up to the United States' involvement in World War I. The serial was released one year after the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May 1915. Instead, Russia and Japan would be America's Allies in the First World War. The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 6, 1917. The serial was Juanita Hansen's serial debut.

Scientist and inventor Dr Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) tries to perfect a device that can allow submersibles to remain underwater indefinitely - without needing to resurface to obtain fresh oxygen. At the opening of the story, the discovery has been perfected and offered to the US government. Lieutenant Jarvis Hope (Tom Chatterton) of the United States Navy is tasked with witnessing a practical demonstration of the new invention.

Hope also meets an old acquaintance, Hook Barnacle (George Clancey), whose life he once saved. Hook had previously had his right hand torn off by a shark, and was subsequently replaced with an iron hook. Hook and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen) soon become very interested in each other. But Hook talks too much, and it isn't long before the rest of the village knows the reason for Lieutenant Hope's visit.

Among those who find out are Sextus (Harry Edmondson), a Russian, who works for Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis), Head of the Russian bureau in the US, and Tatsuma (or Satsuma, played by William Tedmarsh ), a Japanese working under the orders of one Mahlin (George Webb). Both are ordered to obtain the document with the invention. Even a third party goes after the secret document: Gerald Morton (Lamar Johnstone), the ruthless nephew of a wealthy American lobbyist. At the end of episode 1, Tatsuma manages to sink the submarine with Cleo, Hope, Hook, and Burke in it.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 17. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey (left) as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 18. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Our heroes follow the evildoers who are on the train, in search of the books that may contain... The Secret of the Submarine!


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 22. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). On the right, Cleo (Juanita Hansen) is bound and gagged, and lowered to the cellar at Stephansky's, while left Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis) observes the situation.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 28. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). At the front: George Clancey as 'Hook'Barnacle, Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, while at left, behind them the Japanese spy Tatsuma (William Tedmarsh) observes them.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 34. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. William Tedmarsh as Tatsuma and probably George Webb as Mahlin in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).

The car even has to jump over a broken bridge

The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) is a serial filled with cliffhangers. In episode 2 Burke's party isn't killed thanks to the courage and wit of Cleo and Hope. Sextus and Tatsuma fight each other in Burke's house, thinking the opponent is a member of the household. At night Burke hides papers in books, before being murdered.

In episode 3 a penniless and fatherless Cleo sells valuable books of her father's collection, only to discover one contains the secret of the submarine. The bad guys have overheard this, and all rush to the auction house. The good guys miss the train and the car even has to jump over a broken bridge, but they arrive too late at the auction house: Tatsuma has already copied the list of purchasers and has set the auction house on fire.

In episode 4 Hope and Cleo get the list of purchasers too and follow Tatsuma to the house of Stephansky, a bomb maker (having purchased one of Burke's books), where also Morton and Olga have arrived. Cleo is instructed to return alone that night. She is bound and gagged and lowered into a cellar. A fight occurs between Stephansky and Hope, who want to free Cleo, and Morton drops a bomb in the cellar, exploding the whole house.

In episode 5 we discover Hook had saved Cleo just in time, and Hope survives the explosion, but Stephansky is killed. Olga and Morton have managed to escape. Burke's book doesn't contain the secret. All make haste to reach Mrs. Del Marr, wife of the British Consul in S. Francisco, the next owner of one of Burke's books. Her house was once a den for Russian spies and has secret passages which Olga knows. Olga, Morton, and Mahlin disguised as servants, enter the house. A fight between Mahin and Hope occurs and the two books by Mrs Del Marr disappear. In episode 6 we discover Hook took the books but they don't contain the secret. A pursuit by boats follows, towards the next owner of a Burke book, Mr. Fitzmaurice, who is at Santa Cruz Island. Hope and Cleo witness the boat of Morton and Olga behind them being blown up. Tatsuma and Mahlin manage to switch off the light of the lighthouse, leaving Hope in the dark.

In episode 7 Cleo and Hope, but also Olga and Morton, and Mahlin and Tatsuma arrive on the island, in search of the book. Tatsuma finally blows up Fitzmaurice's cabin with Cleo and Hope. In episode 8 Cleo and Hope survived the explosion. Satsuma hears Dr Owen, a friend of Fitzmaurice, also owns a book, so Mahlin wrecks the train on which Cleo, Hope, Olga and Morton are going to Owen. They all survive. Morton pretends to be Hope to Owen at a cafe, but Hope arrives and understands the situation. During his attack on Morton, an earthquake occurs, wrecking the bar.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 41. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 42. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The man left could be George Webb aka Mahlin.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 45. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The aftermath of one of the several explosions in the serial. The woman could be Juanita Hansen, clearly holding the sought-after book.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 48. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 49. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 51. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in the mountains, possibly with George Webb (Mahlin) in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 52. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope and George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 56. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).

Escaped with a parachute

In episode 9 of The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916), Cleo and Hope discover the document in Owen's book was a prescription, but Olga and Morton don't believe this and kidnap Cleo. Morton flies her to his mountain cabin but she escapes with a parachute. Yet, he tracks her down and presses her once more to tell where the secret is. Aviator Smith, whose plane Morton stole, and the police track down Morton. Hope tries to reach Cleo on the other side of a chasm, by use of a cable, but Mahlin is about the cut the cable with an axe.

In episode 10 Hook arrives just in time and throws Mahlin in the chasm instead. Morton and Olga arrive on the plane and shoot at the cable basket with Cleo and Hope, but Hope shoots down the plane. Olga and Morton survive and manage to escape. Mahlin and Tatsuma attack Hope, Hook and Cleo observing the books. Hope is about to save Cleo from Tatsuma when he gets into quicksand. Cleo climbs down a vine and is about to lift Hope by her foot when Mahlin cuts the vine.

In episode 11 Hook rescues Cleo and Hope. Olga is accidentally wounded by cowboys, hunting bandits. Just as Hope is congratulated by the government for his actions, a message arrives that the owner of the book with the secret, Romero, lost it in the mountains. In episode 12 Hope needs to marry another woman for honour, while Cleo and Hook fall on hard times, experiencing poverty in town. Olga and Morton are captured by bandits. In episode 13 Olga and Morton find Robinson's Philosophy, the lost book, in the bandits' den. It makes clear the secret is revealed in another book, Metallurgy. Morton dumps Olga and heads for the city. Hope discovers the other woman is just a gold-digger and breaks off the planned marriage. He also hears the government is in an awkward position because of a possible war imminent. Cleo leaves Hook. In episode 14 Hope and Hook meet, quarrel, make peace and start searching for Cleo together. Hope finds her just in time as she is about to commit suicide. Olga demands Morton to give him the book. When he accuses her of killing Burke, she wants to strike him with a dagger, but he kills her instead. The police enter and Olga, dying, points at the culprit. Mahlin has seen it all and steals the book and a package Olga had with her.

In the final episode 15, Cleo is kidnapped by Mahlin and Tatsuma. Hope, searching for Cleo, meets Morton and hears about Olga's secret. He agrees to meet Mahlin and Tatsuma and give the book in exchange for Cleo. A fight follows and Tatsuma flees through the window. Holding him at gunpoint, Hope forces Mahlin to uncover Cleo's hiding, but it is only after a month of searching in vain that Hook finds Cleo at a miserable beach. Hope stops the submarine he is on and jumps on the motor boat with Cleo and Hook: reunited at last!


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 62. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Down left are Lamar Johnstone as Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff. Possibly in the bandits' den.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 67. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo holds Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 68. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, American Film Company 1916), starring Juanita Hansen, and distributed by Mutual. Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona. Here, Hansen's Cleo holds Tom Chatterton aka Lt. Hope.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 73. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here Lamar Johnstone as Gerald Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff, struggling with a dagger.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 75. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The police find Morton (Lamar Johnstone) and the dying Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 76. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here, possibly George Webb as Mahlin, abducting Cleo (Juanita Hansen).


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 77. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The final fight between Hope, Tatsuma and Mahlin.


Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 79 of probably 79 or 80. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, finally reunited, in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb. Our plot description was based on a longer description at IMDb, drawn from the Motion Picture World synopsis.