Hugh Herbert

A widow and her daughter are threatened with eviction by an unscrupulous lawyer. The widow Wilson and her daughter Mary have just learned that old Mr. Middleton, who held the mortgage on their home, has passed away. They are now visited by Middleton's lawyer, Cribbs, who informs them that Middleton's son and heir Edward plans to foreclose and take possession of their home. When Mary goes to plead with Edward, she soon discovers that it is really the unscrupulous Cribbs who wants to drive them out of their home. When Mary and Edward become engaged to be married, it looks as if all is well. But the calculating Cribbs has a new plan, which begins with luring young Edward into a lifestyle of drinking and dissipation. —Snow Leopard

Chester Kent struggles against time, romance, and a rival's spy to produce spectacular live "prologues" for movie houses. Chester Kent produces musical comedies on the stage. With the beginning of the talkies era he changes to producing short musical prologues for movies. This is stressful to him, because he always needs new units and his rival is stealing his ideas. He can get an contract with a producer if he is able to stage in three days three new prologues. In spite of great problems, he does it. —Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de> With the introduction of talkies, many theater owners are closing down their live productions in favor of the new format. Even those theaters that had live performances between films are getting rid of them. Producer Chester Kent comes up with an idea: if the live acts could be packaged and sold to theater owners, they should be able to reduce costs and make money. He's not the only one who's come up with the idea however and competition is tough. Kent soon realizes that they should try developing 40 minute prologues, live musical numbers to be shown before the movie. His ideas are continually being leaked to his competition. Throughout, his very capable secretary Nan keeps everything going in the office. —garykmcd Chester Kent, Broadway producer, is out of business because of talking pictures, so he starts producing musical "prologues" for movie theatres. Soon the search for new ideas is driving him crazy; his secretary pines with love for him; another secretary is pursued by his juvenile lead; and things get even worse when a spy sells Kent's ideas to a competitor. With some of Busby Berkeley's biggest dance numbers. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Two fast-talking insurance salesmen meet Mary, who is running away from her wealthy mother, and they agree to help her run a hotel that she owns. When they find out that the hotel is run down and nearly abandoned, they launch a phony PR campaign that presents the hotel as a resort favored by the rich. Their advertising succeeds too well, and many complications soon arise. —Snow Leopard

An insanely, egocentric ventriloquist, even though he is possessed by his wooden dummy, is in love with a dancer who is in love with another. The dummy gives advice to the ventriloquist. For the ventriloquist Gabbo his wooden dummy Otto is the only means of expression. When he starts relying more and more on Otto, he starts going mad. —Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de> Gabbo, a ventriloquist and a supreme egotist, Mary, his mistress, and Little Otto, his dummy, comprise a popular vaudeville act. Gabbo constantly finds fault with Mary's efforts to please, while insisting upon his own greatness. During a performance Mary infuriates Gabbo by dropping a tray. He berates her after the performance and forces her to leave. Years later, Gabbo is featured in "The Manhattan Revue," in which Mary and her new partner, Frank, are also appearing as a song-and-dance team. More conceited than ever, Gabbo is certain that Mary will return to him. Spying Otto at a cafe, Mary converses with Gabbo through the dummy, and Gabbo believes he has won her back. Gabbo ultimately learns of Mary's marriage to Frank, and he is driven to madness. He rushes the stage brandishing a sword during the show's finale, resulting in his dismissal. After he is fired, Gabbo is unable to recognize Mary as she tries to comfort him. He shuffles from the theater carrying Otto by the leg, and watches hopelessly as workmen remove his name from the marquee.