Summary
In the height of the Roaring Twenties, siblings Wiletta and Dick Whipple embody the era's frantic hedonism, much to the silent chagrin of their social circle. Wiletta finds herself ensnared by the superficial charms of Jack Cartwright, a predatory 'lounge lizard,' while she dismisses the earnest, grounded Nat Armstrong. Meanwhile, Dick drowns his aimlessness in bootleg liquor. The family dynamic shifts when their parents, Sam and Mary, return from a journey transformed by new wealth and a modern automobile, only to bring a dangerous shadow home with them: the Querinos, a band of opportunistic crooks. When the situation escalates into a kidnapping that tears Wiletta from her decadent bubble, the film pivots from a social critique of 'jazz-mad' youth into a high-octane rescue mission. A desperate car chase culminates in a literal and metaphorical cliffhanger, forcing a reconciliation that challenges the Whipples to trade their reckless speed for emotional substance.
Synopsis
Wiletta and Dick Whipple are jazz-mad children who follow the pursuit of pleasure recklessly: Wiletta is attracted by Jack Cartwright, a lounge lizard, and gives the cold shoulder to Nat Armstrong, a worthy fellow who loves her; Dick drinks too much. Their parents, Sam and Mary, go on a trip and return with a new car and new clothes. On a trip, the elder Whipples have become involved with the Querinos, Spanish crooks, who soon kidnap Wiletta. Nat and Sam give chase to the Querinos' car. Nat snatches Wiletta from the bandits' machine, and her father then runs it with its occupants over a cliff. Mutual reconciliation follows.
