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Beating the Odds Synopsis

David Power, a political graft collector, is forced by the district attorney to leave New York and takes cabaret singer Hebe Norse with him. Power shows talent as a patent medicine salesman. He is hired by a real estate speculator and then by a great steel manufacturer, Gail Rogers. Power falls in love with Rogers' daughter Rosalie, and they are married. Rogers returns home with a new wife, Hebe Norse. When Rogers discovers Hebe's past, the two men sever ties. Rosalie finds out as well, and also breaks with Power. Rogers tries to ruin one of Power's companies, but does not succeed. Rosalie forgives Power; the couple and their daughter are reunited.

Phantom Fortunes Synopsis

Bob Deering on his way to business meets his sweetheart, Molly Sherman. He arrives at Milliken and Co., stockbrokers, his place of employment, just in time to save Herman, Zalmon Pinsker's 14-year-old son, from a very rough engagement with the other messengers in the office. For this act Herman takes him to his father's shop and obtains a suit at wholesale, and it is here that Bob meets Ike Mandell, who is in love with Dora, the daughter of Pinsker. Previous to this meeting Pinsker re-engaged Mandell after having hired and fired him at least ten times, and also just previous to Bob's arrival with Herman, Moses Hecht and Israel Classman had an argument with Mandell, who, trying to look after Pinsker's business, tried to force them to pay certain notes which had been endorsed by Pinsker. Mrs. Pinsker and Dora arrive and realize that if Pinsker keeps up this pace of unorganized charity they will have little if any chance of obtaining the new dresses for which they came. Later the stock market closes on account of the war, and both Herman and Bob are out of a job. Bob calls upon Molly, who is a telephone operator in a hotel. There he meets "Red" Dorgan, who interests him in war orders. Clothing, sweaters, and shirts are needed for the allied armies, so Bob goes to Pinsker and agrees to get him a contract that will at once make him a rich man. Pinsker is overjoyed. Bob returns to Dorgan, and it is arranged that the manufacturer shall meet the commission. Ike Mandell has a cousin, Abie Lefkowitz, another clothing manufacturer, and he feels that if he can give Pinsker the double cross and get the business for Lefkowitz he will be able to marry Dora. Ike arranges with Dorgan to switch the order to Lefkowitz, who has to give Ike an advance commission of $8,000 for his work. Bob apprises Molly of what he has done for Pinsker, but she has her misgivings about Dorgan. The contestants for the big war order is requested by the commission, which has quarters in the hotel in which Molly is a telephone operator, to have samples of their goods at the commission's offices. The different clothing manufacturers comply, and when each at different times receives most encouraging reply concerning their samples each refuses domestic orders so that all time possible may be devoted to the commission's order. The hotel detective becomes suspicious and after a short conversation with a Scotland Yard man who has been on Dorgan's trail for months, they, with Bob, examine the commission's quarters. They are now firmly convinced that the scheme is a fake, and Bob conveys this information to Pinsker. He is greatly discomfited over the revelation, but Bob gets an idea which will net Pinsker a considerable sum. All the other clothing manufacturers are refusing domestic orders pending advices from the commission, so Bob helps Pinsker to corner the home market. This scheme is successfully executed. Ike Mandell, jealous, is busy instituting a strike among the employees, but his plan is soon frustrated by Bob. Lefkowitz scenting that something is wrong, goes to the hotel, where he is told of the fake affair. The crooks are captured. It is then that Lefkowitz tells of a $6,000 check and that it was made out to Bob. The police now go with Lefkowitz to the shop of Pinsker, where they try to fasten the check upon Bob, but he has given it to Dorgan, and Pinsker agrees that if his is the only signature on it, he, Pinsker, will make good for Bob. Molly goes to Pinsker, who introduces her to his new partner, Bob Deering, and assures her that she need not "hello" any more if she will marry this live businessman. Molly is pleased, and is further glad to know that Mandell has lost out with Dora, who is going to marry Glassman, who is now making his fortune through Bob's methods of wide-awake business.