Summary
A daring cinematic conceit unfurls as society luminary Diane Drexel orchestrates a private screening, not merely of a conventional production, but of her own audacious creation, "Stranger Than Fiction." This film-within-a-film plunges its audience into a whirlwind narrative where Drexel's on-screen persona, incensed by a brazen robbery attributed to the elusive "Black Heart" syndicate, issues a radical ultimatum: her hand in marriage to her languid fiancé remains withheld until he successfully apprehends the nefarious culprits. Driven by a potent blend of indignation and resolve, Diane descends into the city's shadowed underbelly, where a chance encounter with the enigmatic figure known as "The Shadow" propels her directly into the heart of the criminal enterprise. Through a series of perilous infiltrations, narrow escapes, and a climactic aerial confrontation that culminates in the dramatic demise of the "Black Heart," the on-screen drama hurtles to its conclusion. As the projector's beam fades, Diane reveals the meta-narrative's true purpose, asserting that this high-octane spectacle embodies her definitive vision for the future of motion pictures—a bold manifesto delivered with a flourish of self-aware artistry.
Synopsis
Society girl Diane Drexel invites her friends to see a screening of Carmen in which they have acted. She then tells the projectionist to show her original film, Stranger Than Fiction . This film then unfolds the following action: When the lights are turned up the guests find they have been robbed by the "Black Heart," head of a notorious gang, who have left their familiar mark. Diane declares that she will not marry her indolent fiancé until he has tracked down the robbers. In the slums, Diane meets The Shadow and through him learns that Dick is endangered; with his help she joins the gang. Following a series of escapes, climaxed by an airplane stunt in which the "Black Heart" is forced to his death, the lights flash on and Diane informs the guests that this is her idea of how motion pictures ought to be made.
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