Summary
Chuck McCarthy, a spirited ironworker from New York, yearns to transcend his blue-collar roots by pursuing a career in film, a dream that collides with the harsh realities of early Hollywood. His life takes a fateful turn when he rescues a mischievous monkey belonging to the glamorous Bijou Lamour, inadvertently thrusting him into the spotlight. As a reluctant stuntman, Chuck navigates the perilous world of silent cinema, where his physical dexterity is exploited by a studio system more concerned with spectacle than human safety. Frances Marion’s script masterfully interweaves the ironworker’s labor with the artifice of acting, framing Chuck’s body as both a tool and a sacrifice in the machinery of showbiz. A pivotal injury during a war film’s dangerous sequence becomes the catalyst for the studio’s moral bankruptcy, as they erase his heroism while lionizing the leading man. The film’s climax—a honeymoon funded by a hush-money check—serves as a bittersweet coda, underscoring the transactional nature of Hollywood’s golden age while leaving Chuck’s aspirations ambiguously suspended between fulfillment and betrayal.
Synopsis
Chuck McCarthy, an intrepid young ironworker, longs to become an actor, despite the protests of his girl, Molly O'Connors, and his family. In dashing up the frame of a building to catch actress Bijou Lamour's runaway pet monkey, he attracts the attention of the studio managers, who make him a stuntman. For a time Charles is happy executing life-risking feats and strutting around in new clothes, although the company laughs at him behind his back. When leading man Marmaduke X. Caruthers refuses to perform a particularly dangerous stunt in a war film, Chuck doubles for him and is seriously injured. The studio manager, who recognizes in the incident an opportunity to promote his star, quickly wraps Marmaduke in bandages and sends him to the hospital, while Chuck is secretly removed through the back door. The next day, the Filmcraft Company sends Chuck a check for $1,000 to keep quiet about the accident. He and Molly use the money on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls.
