Summary
In the labyrinthine corridors of high finance, a formidable patriarch, a titan of industry, procures the services of a new private secretary. Her professional acumen is matched only by her captivating allure, a combination that unexpectedly ignites a dormant spark in his previously indifferent scion. The son, heretofore a stranger to the intricacies of the family enterprise, suddenly manifests an acute interest in its machinations. The shrewd financier, however, discerns the true catalyst for this newfound zeal, banishing his son from the immediate proximity of the office, suspecting the secretary to be the true object of his heir's burgeoning ambition.
Cast adrift, the son's independent ventures falter, a series of missteps culminating in a grave accusation: the theft of valuable bonds. Concurrently, his burgeoning romance with his father's secretary is marred by a gnawing suspicion, fueled by frequent, clandestine encounters between the secretary and his father's cashier. The emotional maelstrom peaks with a devastating discovery, confirming his worst fears as he finds his beloved in the cashier's embrace. Yet, it is precisely this nadir, this moment of profound personal betrayal and public disgrace, that serves as a crucible for clarity. The fabricated charge of bond theft, coupled with the secretary's duplicity, unveils a sinister conspiracy. The son realizes, with a harrowing jolt, that the very individuals he trusted are orchestrating his father's downfall. The narrative pivots dramatically here, transforming from a tale of romantic entanglement and corporate rivalry into a high-stakes unraveling of calculated deceit. The bonds of family and business loyalty, once fractured, are meticulously rewoven, restoring the erstwhile rivalry between father and son to a bedrock of mutual respect. For the beleaguered lovers, their path to reconciliation, though arduous and fraught with misunderstanding, ultimately culminates in a promise of enduring affection and a future imbued with tranquility.
When the dominating financier takes the girl as his private secretary he secures not only an efficient girl but a beautiful one. It is then that his son decides to take an interest in business. His father suspects that his son has suddenly become imbued with business affairs because of the striking young woman secretary he has engaged and tells him that if he intends to go into business he can do so but he does not want him about the office. The son is unsuccessful in many deals and when some bonds are missing the guilty parties manage to successfully charge him with stealing them. In the meantime he had been visiting the charming young secretary of his father and often met his father's cashier coming out of the apartment. He had become furiously jealous and the climax came when he discovered his sweetheart in the arms of the cashier. It is when he is accused of stealing the bonds that he begins to realize that his father's cashier and the pretty secretary are in a plot to ruin his father. And right here is where the story becomes intensely interesting and the suspense is finally lifted. Of course the business rivals become staunch friends again as of yore. But the lovers have come over a rough road in their romance and a pleasant future is also assured for them.
Review Excerpt
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The Calculated Charade: Dissecting the Enduring Allure of 'Wit Wins'
In the annals of early cinema, where narratives often relied on broad strokes and heightened melodrama, a film like 'Wit Wins' emerges not just as a historical artifact, but as a surprisingly intricate tapestry of human ambition, romantic entanglement, and corporate skullduggery. Directed and penned by the often-underestimated Leander De Cordova, this 1917 production, featuring the likes of John Nichols, Eugene Strong..."
