The Crimson Stain Mystery is a 1916 American horror film serial directed by T. Hayes Hunter. The Crimson Stain Mystery was poorly received upon release. Prints and/or fragments were found in the Dawson Film Find in 1978. Plot In this serial, Dr. Burton Montrose, a scientist, has developed a formula which he believes will make ordinary people into geniuses. He experiments on several subjects and, to his horror, finds that it instead creates wicked criminals. The resulting band of murderers and thieves is led by the evil Pierre La Rue, also known as the Crimson Stain for his luminous, red-rimmed eyes. He and his gang terrorize New York City. They are pursued by Layton Parrish, a detective, and by Harold Stanley, editor of the Examiner newspaper, who has vowed vengeance for his father's murder. Aiding Stanley are his friend, Robert Clayton, and his sweetheart, Florence Montrose, Dr. Montrose's daughter. Neither she nor anyone else knows the mysterious Crimson Stain to be none other than the doctor himself, subject of his own experiments. Cast Maurice Costello as Harold Stanley/Pierre La Rue Ethel Grandin as Florence Montrose Thomas J. McGrane as Dr. Burton Montrose Olga Olonova as Vanya Tosca John Milton as Layton Parrish N.J. Thompson as Jim Tanner Eugene Strong as Robert Clayton Chapter titles The Brand of Satan In The Demon's Spell The Broken Spell The Mysterious Disappearance The Figure In Black The Phantom Image The Devil's Symphony In The Shadow of Death The Haunting Spectre The Infernal Fiend The Tortured Soul The Restless Spirit Despoiling Brutes The Bloodhound The Human Tiger The Unmasking See also List of American films of 1916 List of film serials List of film serials by studio References External links lobby art;for episode #4 "The Mysterious Disappearance"(archived) 1916 films 1916 horror films American silent serial films American black-and-white films American horror films Film serials Films directed by T. Hayes Hunter 1910s American films Silent horror films