On the Level
Summary
From the pastoral tranquility of a sheep ranch, where young Merlin Warner cultivated her spirit amidst books and equestrian freedom, her world shatters with the brutal incursion of Pete Sontag, a ruthless rustler who extinguishes her father's life and abducts her into a life of subjugation. Years later, under the oppressive thumb of Sontag, now a drug trafficker masquerading as a saloon proprietor, Merlin is reduced to Mexicali Mae, a dancer whose vibrant performances belie the deep scars inflicted by her tormentor. Her existence, a bleak tapestry woven with coercion and despair, finds an unexpected thread of hope in Joe Blanchard, a man ensnared by morphine. Joe, recognizing the intellectual spark beneath Mae's hardened exterior, appeals to her latent love for literature and music, igniting a profound connection. Their nascent romance is violently interrupted when Pete frames Joe for a murder he himself committed, forcing Mae to shelter her beloved in a secluded homestead. Through arduous trials, Mae's unwavering devotion guides Joe from the abyss of addiction, culminating in a proposal born of gratitude. However, the arrival of Joe's affluent mother and his fiancée, Eleanor, introduces a new form of societal cruelty, as they attempt to buy Mae's departure. Though she spurns their money, the insidious suggestion of her unworthiness takes root, compelling her to retreat, believing herself unfit for Joe's world. Her return to the saloon, a desperate pretense of contentment, is observed by a heartbroken Joe, ignorant of her true anguish. Back in her desolate shack, on the precipice of self-destruction, Mae is confronted by Pete. Joe, having uncovered his family's machinations, arrives, leading to a violent confrontation with Pete that ends in the rustler's demise. In the aftermath, Mae and Joe's love is reaffirmed, and Mae, with grace, extends forgiveness to Joe's repentant mother, forging a path toward a hard-won future.
Synopsis
Merlin Warner, a sheep rancher's only child, enjoys riding and reading. Although poor, they are happy until rustler Pete Sontag kills her father in a raid and carries Merlin off. A few years later, Pete smuggles drugs under the cover of running a saloon, where Merlin, coerced by Pete's beatings, has become the dancer Mexicali Mae. When morphine addict Joe Blanchard appeals to Mae's love of books and music, she falls in love with him, and after Pete frames Joe for a murder that Pete committed, Mae hides Joe in a homestead in the hills. After many struggles, Joe is cured of his addiction and proposes to Mae out of gratitude. She accepts, but when his mother and fiancée Eleanor arrive and offer her money to leave, Mae does not take the money, but becomes convinced that she is not good enough for Joe and writes him that she is returning to the saloon. Joe follows but sees her apparently happy there. Mae returns to her shack and is about to shoot herself when Pete intervenes. Joe, who learned about his mother's plot, arrives and fights Pete. After the gun goes off killing Pete, Mae and Joe are reconciled and Mae forgives his mother.
