Sugar Hill Baby

In Harlem, Winnie Caswell helps loan shark Jeff Babcock dupe his clients into taking out fake loans. One day, Roger Carter, the newly appointed activities director of the Harlem Settlement house, gives a speech in which he pledges to continue striving toward the "upliftment" of his race. To this end, Carter promises to provide guidance, jobs and an education to the people of Harlem and make it the "cleanest, happiest, and most prosperous community in America." Later, at Winnie's party, Jeff tells Winnie that he regrets having made a deal with her to outfit her Sugar Hill apartment in exchange for sending him new "suckers" to borrow from his high interest lending firm. He complains that the upkeep on her apartment has taken the profits out of his earnings. When Winnie tries to defend her lavish spending by telling Jeff that she is trying to get Harrison, the owner of the Unity Club, to take out a loan, Jeff accuses her of having romantic interests in Morgan, Harrison's employee. Winnie calms Jeff's nerves by reassuring him that he is the only man in her life. After reading about Roger's plan to clean up Harlem and his crusade against the Sugar Hill residents, Winnie tells her friends that he will not succeed in his goal and insists that he is only a "four-flusher" looking to chisel in on her racket. Some of Winnie's guests disagree with her and wager that she will not be able to get Roger to come to one of her parties, as she says she will do. Roger, meanwhile, proposes marriage to Mildred Porterfield, an employee of his, and she accepts. Later, at an assembly of Harlem residents, Roger gives another speech, detailing his plans to improve the community, and secures pledges from audience members to contribute money to finance a youth center. Winnie, who has been listening to Roger's speech, introduces herself to the reformer and offers to help him, but her true motives become apparent when she convinces Jeff that she can get Roger to "hang himself" with a plan she has devised. As part of the plan, Winnie asks Roger to meet his new "supporters" at her apartment later that week, which he does. After introducing Roger to her guests, Winnie and Jeff cleverly snare Roger into accepting a loan rather than a contribution to finance his youth center. When Roger returns home, Mildred sees the names on the check and realizes that he has been had and that he may have lost his property, which he put up as collateral. Soon after Roger hires Winnie to work for him as his social service director, he falls in love with her and she leads him astray. Roger loses his property and is accused by his committee of having connived with thieves and mobsters to ruin the settlement. Unable to contain their anger, some members of the committee attack Roger as he tries to explain the situation. Mildred, meanwhile, rushes to Winnie's and forces her to go to the settlement house and tell the crowd that it was she who concocted the scheme. Jeff and the other racketeers are soon convicted for their crimes, and Roger is reinstated as the director of the settlement and marries Mildred.