Summary
In the shadowed alleys of Chinatown, a quartet of predators—Burke's calculating mind, Rose's performative vulnerability, the Dope's narcotic haze, and the Frog's disturbing physical plasticity—orchestrate emotional heists on unsuspecting tourists. Their cynical equilibrium shatters when Burke discovers newspaper accounts of the Patriarch, a sight-impaired, deaf-mute faith healer residing upstate. The gang relocates to the idyllic countryside, where Rose impersonates the healer's niece and the Frog stages a fraudulent 'miracle' by dramatically 'healing' his contorted limbs. This charade ignites an unforeseen spiritual chain reaction: a genuinely paralyzed boy, witnessing the spectacle, miraculously walks. As desperate pilgrims flood the village with offerings, authentic healings multiply. Amidst this vortex of exploited faith, each con artist undergoes profound metamorphosis—the Frog finds maternal solace with a widow, the Dope discovers love's redemptive power, and Burke conquers murderous jealousy to embrace authentic love for Rose. The Patriarch's death becomes the crucible for their rebirth, sealing their transformations in a wedding that transcends their grifter origins.
Synopsis
A gang consisting of the Frog, who can dislocate his limbs; the Dope, a drug addict; Rose, who poses as the Dope's brutalized mistress; and Burke, the leader; prey on the sympathies and contributions of Chinatown sightseers, until Tom, reading about a deaf, mute, and nearly-blind supposed faith-healer called the Patriarch, living upstate, plans to take greater advantage of the public's gullibility. and Rose poses as the patriarch's long-lost niece and the Frog fakes a cure, when a real crippled boy, inspired by seeing the Frog's contorted limbs healed, walks for the first time. When news spreads and other cures occur, the gang collects much money, but gradually, each member, influenced by the Patriarch and the country atmosphere, changes for the better. The Frog becomes a widow's adopted son, while the Dope falls in love. When Rose almost falls for a millionaire, Tom overcomes his murderous jealousy and, renouncing his past, declares his love. After the Patriarch dies, Tom and Rose marry.
