When her father decides to flee to England, young Sylvia Scarlett must become Sylvester Scarlett and protect her father every step of the way, with the questionable help of plenty others.
Escaping to England from a French embezzlement charge, widower Henry Scarlett is accompanied by daughter Sylvia who, to avoid detection, disguises herself as a boy, "Sylvester." They are joined by amiable con man Jimmy Monkley, then, after a brief career in crime, meet Maudie Tilt, a giddy, sexy, Cockney housemaid who joins them in the new venture of entertaining at resort towns from a caravan. Amazingly, through all this nobody recognizes that Sylvia is not a boy--until she meets handsome artist Michael Fane, and drama intrudes on the comedy.—Rod Crawford <[email protected]>
Marseilles-based seamstress Mme. Snow has just passed away. Her husband Henry Scarlett, a bookkeeper for a lace factory, embezzled money from his employers, money which he lost gambling. To avoid arrest, he decides to travel to England smuggling a few pieces of lace with which he can start life anew. Although he initially decides not to take his daughter Sylvia with him, she convinces him to go along as she will disguise herself as a boy named Sylvester, the disguise as the authorities would not be looking for a man and his son. Along the way, they meet con artist Jimmy Monkley. Although their initial encounter does include a con, they ultimately decide to go into the grifting business together. When that doesn't pan out, they instead decide to use one of their fronts, as a traveling performance troupe of pierrots, for real, which will include one of Jimmy's friends, simpleminded Cockney maid Maudie Tilt. Complications ensue when Henry falls for Maudie and Sylvia falls for artist Michael Fane, who they meet during one of their performances. Sylvia must decide whether to come out as a girl not only to Michael, but to Jimmy and Maudie. The course of true love may be difficult for both Henry and Sylvia. Sylvia has the further obstacle of a refined Russian lady, Lily Levetsky, who seems to be the object of Michael's affections.—Huggo
When Henry Scarlett's wife dies, he and his daughter Sylvia leave Marseilles to start a new life in England. To help her debt-ridden father escape from his creditors, Sylvia cuts her hair and dresses as a young man, calling herself Sylvester. Broke, Henry decides to smuggle some French lace through customs but makes the mistake of confessing his crime to Jimmy Monkley, a Cockney confidence man who exposes them to the customs authorities. Monkley tells them later on the train that he turned them in to keep the police from finding the smuggled diamonds in his own shoe. Impressed by Monkley's cleverness and the £100 he gives them as compensation, Henry and Sylvia agree to become partners with him, and in London, the trio attempts several unsuccessful con games. After Monkley tries to trick Maudie Tilt, a rich woman's maid, into stealing her mistress' pearl necklace, Sylvia denounces him and insists that they pursue a more honest path. Dressed in harlequin costumes, the trio and Maudie, with whom Henry falls in love, tour Cornwall as the "Pink Pierrots." In one village, they meet Michael Fane, an aristocratic but bohemian artist, who asks the spunky Sylvia to pose for him. Strongly attracted to Michael, Sylvia steals some women's clothing and shows up at his cottage as herself. Although he is involved with the Russian aristocrat Lily, Michael flirts with the starry-eyed Sylvia, delighted by her unmasking. Later, however, when the seductive Lily arrives, he all but dismisses Sylvia. Heartbroken, Sylvia returns to the caravan, only to discover that her father has committed suicide because Maudie deserted him. Soon after, Lily tries to drown herself but is saved by Monkley, who then runs off with her. Michael and Sylvia chase after Lily and Monkley, convinced that they belong with them. On the train, however, they realize that they actually love each other, and the pursuit ends.
