Cheers of the Crowd

In New York City, publicist Lee Adams and reporter Mary Larkin discuss the poor box office of the play "No, No, Georgette." Later, talent agent Barney Booth, Lee and theater treasurer, Blake Walton come up with a plan to boost ticket sales. The next day Walton leaves a bag containing $10,000 in a hotel washroom. Then, "Honest" John Brady, a friend of Lee who is wanted for larceny in Kansas, dons the guise of a sandwich board man, picks up the bag and takes it to the police. With Mary's help, John's actions make front page news, and when Walton retrieves the bag, he hires John to work as head usher, which draws an audience. Dan O'Reilly, a policeman whose daughter Betty, a cashier at the theater, is having an affair with Walton, is contacted by Kansas police, who inquire if Honest John is the person for whom they are looking. Dan voices his concern because the restaurant John was advertising has been closed for six months. Walton then tries to blackmail a vacation out of Barney by exposing the publicity hoax, but before Barney can act, Walton's jilted wife Lil arrives and warns Walton that she will not let him run out on her again. Feeling cornered, Walton tells Betty they are going away. Betty brings her suitcase to the theater, and Walton gives her a package that he says is his razor; however, it is actually money stolen from the theater safe. During the play's intermission, Lil recognizes John from their days together in the carnival circuit, and at his urging, Lil tells Betty of her marriage to Walton in order to save the girl. Meanwhile, John and Eddie, Betty's beau before John, take her suitcase and put it in John's locker. Seeing that Betty's suitcase is gone, Walton goes to the employee locker room and tries to get into John's locker. As he does so, Dan enters, followed by John, Betty and Eddie. John tells Dan that Betty and Eddie were eloping and Dan gives them his blessing. Betty removes Walton's package from her suitcase and Dan discovers its contents. Dan takes John and Walton to Barney's office, where Walton says the money was given to him by Barney but no one believes Walton's story. Dan instructs Lil to escort her husband out of town. Downstairs in the lobby, Dan tells John that he reminds him of Honest John Brady, who is wanted by the Kansas police, but that he knows John Brady is dead, and John heartily agrees.