Cuore d'emigrante

At the lower Manhattan home of Francesco "Don Ciccio" Mauri, a Neapolitan who has lived in America for most of his life, a birthday party for his Americanized daughter Elsie is in full swing. Elsie's American boyfriend, Mr. Gravesend, arrives with a bracelet for the girl, and she hugs him in gratitude, upsetting her father, who disapproves of such free "American style" behavior. At Don Ciccio's request, Mario, the friend of Don Ciccio's other, more traditional daughter Elena, sings a sentimental Neapolitan song, a tune which the older guests enthusiastically enjoy. Elsie puts an end to their merriment, however, by turning on the radio to a jazz station and by asking her friend Susie to dance for them. Don Ciccio is disgusted, as are his friends. The dance is interrupted by the sound of a shot from the street, and Don Ciccio's son Mickey arrives, followed by a policeman who inquires about the shooting. Mickey responds to his father's questions by telling him to shut up. The revelers then leave, to Elsie's chagrin, and as Elena walks with Mario, he relates that in Naples parents are properly treated with respect. As they embrace, a policeman, who is a family friend, separates them, and the boy, not understanding English, is confused. Shortly thereafter, the couple declare their love for one another. When Don Ciccio offers to find his son a good, clean job, Mickey ignores the paternal suggestion. Elena arrives home one day to find Elsie maligning her father. They argue, and Elena calls her sister a "flapper," then tells her father that she has been laid off. When Mario arrives, she reveals that the previous night, her lecherous boss asked her to work overtime and kissed her by force, which disgusted her. Because she did not respond, she was fired. Mario suggests that they go to Naples, but she fears that her father would die if she left; however, Mario convinces her to go the next day by ship. Due to his sadness, Don Ciccio stays home from work for the first time in twenty years. Mickey, who had overheard his father offering Elena his life savings of five hundred dollars, comes to the bank to try to withdraw the money. The cashier calls Don Ciccio, who goes to the bank and seeing his son, understands what Mickey has tried to do. He tells the manager to give his son the cash, then goes home and finds out that Elena is leaving. He cries out that he has slaved for twenty years and deprived himself for his children, but tells her to go. He angrily decides to turn Mickey in, but Elena stops him from calling the police, and he admits he can't turn his son in. After assuring himself that Mario loves Elena, Don Ciccio decides to accompany the couple to Naples. Elsie and Mr. Gravesend arrive and announce that they've been married, and Don Ciccio is very relieved. He kisses his dead wife's picture and tells Elsie to leave a key for Mickey, with the hope that his mother's picture will encourage the boy to reform. Mickey returns home to find the house empty. He receives his father's message from a neighbor, embraces his mother's photo, and then sobs, dropping the stolen money on the ground. Sometime later in Naples, Don Ciccio, Elena, Mario and their baby receive a letter informing them that Mickey has indeed reformed himself and become a great contractor.