
Ruth Burns is not aware that her father is a professional gambler until she receives a notification of his death and comes to New York. She inherits his gambling palace, and Jimmy Weaver, one of his associates, instructs her in its operation.


*Who Am I?* (1934) is a film that thrives in the interplay of shadows and revelations, a narrative where the protagonist’s journey mirrors the city’s own moral chiaroscuro. Ruth Burns, portrayed with subtle ferocity by Gertrude Astor, begins not as a heroine but as a cipher—a woman thrust into a world she neither unde...


Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.

Henry Kolker

Henry Kolker
Community
Log in to comment.
" *Who Am I?* (1934) is a film that thrives in the interplay of shadows and revelations, a narrative where the protagonist’s journey mirrors the city’s own moral chiaroscuro. Ruth Burns, portrayed with subtle ferocity by Gertrude Astor, begins not as a heroine but as a cipher—a woman thrust into a world she neither understands nor desires. The film’s genius lies in its ability to layer Ruth’s personal awakening with the broader societal critique of 1930s New York, a city where fortune and ruin ar..."
Claire Anderson
Katherine S. Reed, Max Brand
United States

