Summary
Money to Burn (1926) is a high-stakes melodrama that follows Dolores Valdez, a young woman returning to her South American roots, only to find herself entangled in a web of familial betrayal and criminal enterprise. On her voyage home, she falls for Dr. Dan Stone, the ship's physician. Their burgeoning romance is seemingly cut short when Dan, believing he has committed a fatal act while defending Dolores, leaps into the sea to escape justice. However, fate is rarely simple in 1920s pulp cinema. Dan is rescued by Ortego, a man who—unbeknownst to the doctor—is the business partner of Dolores’ power-hungry uncle, Diego. The two men operate a sophisticated counterfeiting ring out of a secluded, 'forbidden' chapel on the Valdez estate. While Dolores is pressured into a loveless marriage with Ortego to solidify the family’s illegal empire, Dan is held captive to treat a mysterious, guarded patient. When the lovers inevitably reunite within the walls of the chapel, they must navigate a labyrinth of secrets, armed guards, and the looming threat of the printing press to secure their freedom.
Synopsis
Dolores Valdez, returning to her South American home, falls in love with Dan Stone, the ship's doctor. He is forced to jump overboard when he thinks he has killed a man who while protecting Dolores. Diego, the uncle of Dolores, is trying to force her to marry Ortego, has a counterfeiting business going with Ortego in a lonely chapel in which Dolores is forbidden to go. Dan has been rescued by Ortego who gets Dan to cure a man who is very sick and guarded by a large black man. Dan and Dolores meet again but keep it a secret. They are discovered and held captive by the guard. The intrigue grows ever larger around them.
