The Red Circle is a birthmark, on the hand of the heroine, noticeable only in times of stress and excitement, which forces her to steal, leading to no end of complications and intrigue.
Chapter Two--"Pity the Poor": "In this number we discover that the young girl, June Travis, also displays the red circle on the back of her hand, and that she steals without apparently realizing what it means. She has stolen papers from a loan shark to save a poor man from paying exorbitant interest on a loan."—Constance B. Kuriyama <[email protected]>
Episode 1: "Nevermore" "Circle" Jim Borden, branded by the Red Circle on his right hand, the mark of the criminal Borden clan, is released from prison after serving his third term. He is met by June Travis and her mother as he leaves the gray walls of the jail. They offer him money, being interested in the reform of ex-convicts, but he turns on them savagely. Max Lamar, a young detective, standing nearby ready to carry out his instructions to shadow Borden, interferes and orders the criminal to be on his way. Shortly afterward Borden sees his son lift the watch from a man's pocket and determines to kill him, and himself, and thus end the criminal strain of the family. Lamar has taken up the chase and reaches Borden's room in time to learn that the last of the Bordens is dead. The next day, Lamar, while standing beside a curtained automobile, is astounded to see a woman's hand come from beneath the curtains and on its back, the red circle. When he recovers from his surprise the auto is moving away, but he has noted the license number.—Moving Picture World synopsis
Episode 2: "Pity the Poor" The second chapter of Pathe's "The Red Circle" takes up deeper into the mystery of the criminal brand which has the police department of a large city at its wits' end. "The Red Circle" is a birthmark peculiar to one member in each generation of the notorious Borden family. Each member on whose hand the mark has appeared became a criminal. When "Circle" Jim and his son Ted die "Max Lamar, crime specialist," thinks his anxiety with regard to the Red Circle is over. He is disillusioned abruptly, however, by recognizing, on the well-groomed hand of a woman in a swiftly moving automobile the unmistakable brand of the Red Circle. Lamar's only clue is the automobile number. Grant, a loan shark, reports the theft of a batch of notes and his automobile. As he speaks, the auto is seen passing, the same one that Lamar is interested in. Overtaking the car, which has come to a stop, they find the woman gone. In the meantime the woman, June Travis, interested in social reforms and well known to Lamar, has turned her coat inside out and walks up to remind him of his promise to call to tell her of his work. Anonymous letters inform Grant's clientele of the destruction of the notes. Mary, June's old nurse, finds half of a burned note and confronts her with it. The livid Red Circle comes to view on the back of June's hand, and is recognized by the faithful Mary, who shows a strange fear at its appearance.—Moving Picture World synopsis
Jim Borden, a master criminal, kills both his son and himself to end his family's curse. Later, Officer Lamar sees a red circle on the hand of a veiled woman, June Travis. After destroying some important letters, June is confronted by her nurse Mary, who informs her that she is actually the daughter of Jim Borden; accidentally taken by him in her place was the Travis baby, a son. It was this boy whom he killed., not his own child. NOw Lamar must capture and cure her.—[email protected]
