Directed by Allan Dwan • 1927 • United States
Starring George O’Brien, Virginia Valli, J. Farrell MacDonald

Vividly shot on the streets of 1920s New York City, this sprawling melodrama follows fluctuating fortunes of John Breen (George O’Brien, in the same year he starred in F. W. Murnau’s SUNRISE) as he works his way up from orphan to prizefighter to successful architect. Along the way there are romances, brawls, questions of paternity, a shipwreck, the building of Manhattan’s skyscrapers and subways, and more, all packed into a fleet ninety minutes.