Kenneth Hawks (Howard's brother) collaborated with Fox contractee David Butler on the direction of the late silent Masked Emotion. The story takes place along the seacoast of California, where sailboat skipper Brandlet Dickey (George O'Brien) stumbles upon a scheme to smuggle Chinese aliens into the country. Complicating matters is the fact that Dickey's younger brother Thad (played by crack stuntman David Sharpe) is sweet on Emily Goodell (Nora Lane), daughter of the captain (James Gordon) of the smuggling vessel. There's plenty of he-man action as Dickey simultaneously trounces the villains and guides his wounded brother back to shore. Ben Ames Williams' A Son of Anak was the source for this typically two-fisted O'Brien vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
