Buried Loot

Buried Loot

Year: 1935

Runtime: 19 mins

Language: English

Director: George B. Seitz

DramaCrime

An embezzler who expects to serve his time in prison and then pick up his buried loot is in for a surprise.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Buried Loot (1935)

Trace every key event in Buried Loot (1935) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Embezzlement plan and concealment

Douglas steals $200,000 from Seacoast National Bank in New York City and schemes to confess to the bank president. He claims the money was lost to gambling, but in truth he has not spent any of it. He then buries the cash in a suitcase across the river in New Jersey. He plans to retrieve it after serving a five-to-ten year sentence.

New York City, Seacoast National Bank; across the river in New Jersey
2

Conviction and prison entry

Douglas is tried and convicted of grand larceny and begins serving a prison sentence. He resolves to be a model inmate and hopes to serve only the minimum term of five to ten years. He imagines that release will leave him free to dig up the loot later.

New York State prison
3

Cellmate Louie's influence

Inside prison, his cellmate Louie talks about how things change outside, implying that plans and fortunes can shift with time. Those comments plant paranoia in Douglas about someone discovering the hidden stash. The conversation sows the seeds of a drastic escape plan.

Prison
4

Escape plan hatched

Louie and Douglas devise a daring escape by disguising themselves as a priest and a regular visitor. The plan is intricate and surprisingly successful, allowing them to slip out of the prison unnoticed. The escape marks a turning point as they flee toward their target money.

Prison
5

Escape and split

After escaping, the two men separate to reduce the chance of capture. Louie heads to an undisclosed location in New York, while Douglas flees to Canada to change his appearance. The split is a calculated move to throw authorities off the trail.

New York, USA; Canada
6

Canada and disguise

In Toronto, Douglas stages an accident to permanently alter his appearance by burning his face with nitric acid. The self-inflicted injuries require hospitalization and extensive surgery, leaving him scarred and unrecognizable. This drastic measure is meant to foil any future identification.

Toronto, Canada
7

Release and return to the United States

After his hospital recovery, Douglas leaves Canada and returns to the United States, retrieving the suitcase full of cash. He travels to New Jersey to finalize plans and then moves on to New York to book passage on a ship to Europe. The plan is to vanish with the money while appearing less likely to be recognized.

Canada → United States (New Jersey) → New York
8

Spotted by former Canadian friends

Walking in New York with the suitcase, Douglas is spotted by two men who befriended him in Canada. They invite him to share a taxi to continue the conversation, and he reluctantly agrees. The ride ends at a fateful destination near his old employer.

New York City
9

Abduction toward the bank

The two men, along with their crew, handcuff Douglas and drive him to the bank's president. Douglas is surprised to see Louie among the others waiting there. They escort him into the bank's offices under armed guard.

Seacoast National Bank, New York
10

Truth about the escape revealed

The bank president reveals that Douglas's escape was an elaborate ruse organized by the bank's bonding company to recover the money. He explains that agents, including prison staff, the Canadian friends, and Louie, had tracked Douglas since the escape. Douglas learns that his freedom was never real.

Seacoast National Bank; bonding company offices
11

End: return to prison

The film ends with the disfigured Douglas staring at the camera as he is told he will now return to prison to serve the maximum sentence with no parole. There is no escape now; the loot remains buried and his future is bleak. The closing shot seals his fate in a harsh, punitive twist.

New York City

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:34

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Buried Loot Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Buried Loot

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