Her Actor Friend

In this 1926 silent-era scramble, Eddie is a man living on borrowed time and stolen capital. Employed by Joe, he makes the ill-advised decision to 'borrow' company funds to treat Joe’s daughter, Alice, and her friend Ruth to a night at the theater. The production is a quintessential melodrama of the period, but the real drama begins when the leading man—an old acquaintance of the girls—inserts himself into their evening. What follows is a cynical look at the 'star' lifestyle of the twenties. The actor invites the trio to a post-show dinner, only to conveniently 'lose' his wallet, forcing the already-embezzling Eddie to foot the bill. Panic-stricken and bankrupt, Eddie turns informant, calling Joe to report the girls' whereabouts in a desperate bid to deflect blame. The film culminates in a vertical chase through an apartment window and across the city, as the girls attempt to outrun the consequences of their social climbing while Joe and Eddie close the net.