A. Harding Steerman, Violet Graham, Sydney Vautier
Beginning life as a talky mystery novel by Guy Boothby, Bid for Fortune was melted down to 4 reels (approximately 50 minutes' running time) for this 1917 British filmization. A. Harding Steerman plays an eminent scientist, desirous of getting his hands on a valuable artifact: an ancient Chinese staff. Steerman runs up against not only the dedicated protectors of the staff, but the powers of Occult. Violet Graham and Sydney Vautier play the requisite young lovers swept up in all the intrigue. A Bid for Fortune was directed with a maximum of speed and a minimum of logic by Sidney Morgan.