The Death Knell

Alf Nielsen, 1914, 50 min
Death’s bells toll in tune to the march of war. On top of devastating losses, espionage also cripples General Müller’s army. Young Lieutenant Charley is entrusted with the delivery of Dossier 15, a document of utmost importance to the war effort. After a dangerous journey through enemy territory, Adjutant Bertram betrays him – it turns out that he’s spying for the enemy. Bertram replaces Dossier 15 with a worthless piece of paper which leads to Charley’s arrest. Charley must escape to avoid execution and expose the spy.

The film has Danish intertitles. The ending of the film is not preserved. Read the full plot in the cinema programme.

Alf Nielsen is a both the screenwriter, director and plays the role of Charley. He was a true daredevil, which is also quite clear from the stunts and he himself performs in the film. In 1924, Nielsen travelled to the US, where he was hired by a company to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge – a 48-metre jump which reportedly earnt him several thousand dollars, albeit at the expense of a sprained shoulder.

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