Summary
A nickelodeon dreamscape stitched from pawn-shop celluloid, <em>Broken Bubbles</em> opens on a threadbare drifter whose last coin—one copper disc—glints like a miniature sun between thumb and forefinger. Hunger gnaws, but curiosity bleeds louder; he slips the fifty cents across a cracked Formica counter to a gypsy whose crystal orb swallows the room’s gaslight. Inside the glass, horses thunder through sawdust, a silver-maned mare vaults rails, and our pauper becomes jockey, lover, co-conspirator in a single whirlwind day. Victory at the track under a confetti sky bleeds into cabaret chandeliers, where champagne bubbles mirror the crystal’s earlier fog and every laugh ricochets like a bullet in a hall of mirrors. Then—pop—the clairvoyant slaps the table, the globe dims, and Hank snaps awake, still clutching the coin now warm as a heartbeat. Outside, the same diner sign winks “MEAL 50¢,” but the menu of possible futures has already been devoured.
Synopsis
A poor chap, with only fifty cents, hesitates whether to buy a meal with it or visit a fortune teller. He chooses the latter, and gazing into a crystal globe, he is told to follow the horses. He is then shown working around a racing stable, and, of course, rides the heroine's horse to victory. That night they decide to celebrate in a cabaret, where several amusing complications ensue. All this is revealed in the crystal ball and, waking up, Hank finds himself in the fortune teller's booth. Going out, he gazes longingly at the sign advertising meals for a half a dollar.
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