She faked being Russian for fame, but her true self won the heart.
Lizzie Stokes, an obscure and colorless actress, is elevated to stardom through publicity and better coaching from Daniel Hoffman, a theatrical producer. As Olga Rostova, an exotic Russian, she meets Norman Brooke, whose infatuation turns to love. Hoffman suggests that Norman could never care for Lizzie and proves his point. Heartbroken, Lizzie decides to see no more of him. On closing night, when he proposes to her in her dressing room and she refuses, Norman declares he must believe all the lurid details of her past; in desperation, she bares her true identity, only to find it is not her glamorous image but rather her real self that he loves.
Costume
The glamorous Olga Rostova transformation from plain Lizzie.
Acting
Esther Ralston's dual performance balancing comedy and pathos.
Director
Frank Tuttle
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film is considered lost—no known prints survive, making it a ghost of early Hollywood.
The 'exotic Russian' trope exploded in 1920s cinema as audiences cranked up for Garbo fever.
US
