Summary
Fashionable Fakers weaves a whimsical tapestry of deception and desire, centering on Thaddeus Plummer, a furniture deceiver whose life is upended by a serendipitous acquisition of a mystical Oriental rug. Nicknamed 'The Worm' for his unscrupulous craft of perforating furniture to simulate antiquity, Plummer's moral ambivalence clashes with the rug's supernatural agency. When his employer, the enigmatic Pat O'Donnell—disguised as Abdul Ishmid—dismisses the rug as valueless, Plummer's discovery of its 'wishing' properties catapults him from sordid tradesman to improbable romantic and financial success. The narrative pivots on the duality of illusion: Plummer's counterfeit artistry versus the rug's genuine enchantment. As his wishes materialize—reuniting with Clara Ridder and securing an antique shop—the film interrogates the ethics of self-interest cloaked in fantasy. The screenplay, penned by Melville W. Brown and Frederick Stowers, employs a brisk, sly tone, juxtaposing slapstick flourishes with quiet moments of introspection. Visually, the film leans into the chiaroscuro of 1920s set design, framing Plummer's moral labyrinth in stark contrasts. A precursor to later wish-fulfillment narratives, Fashionable Fakers refracts the American Dream through a lens of irony, where luck is both reward and reckoning.
Synopsis
Thaddeus Plummer is nicknamed "The Worm" because his job involves boring holes into furniture to create counterfeit antiques. One day, he buys an oriental rug and is nearly fired when his employer, Pat O'Donnell, alias Abdul Ishmid, deems it worthless. Thaddeus learns that he has purchased a "wishing rug" and his luck improves when he tests its powers. He wishes to see his sweetheart, Clara Ridder, and is rewarded. After a wish for $1,000 is granted, Thaddeus buys the antique shop and marries Clara.
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