12/14/2008:
In 1914, a 23-part silent serial film called "The Million Dollar Mystery" played at theaters across the country. It told a story about a secret society trying to gain a missing fortune for their own. The film was a big success in theaters, and many newspapers across the state chronicled the plot for their readers.
On this date in 1914, movie-goers in Devils Lake got the surprise of their evening when their own Gov. John Burke, who was currently the U.S. Treasurer, popped up in the twenty-first chapter. No one knew he would be in the movie, and when he appeared, everyone in the theater burst into raucous applause.
Word of Burke's show-stopping appearance spread quickly, promising packed movie houses in the days ahead. It was yet another shining moment in the life of honest John.
By Sarah Walker
Sources:
Dec. 15, 1914, Devils Lake Journal, Thursday Evening
Allmovie.com, "The Million Dollar Mystery," http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:153348
IMDB.com, "The Million Dollar Mystery," http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004336/