Devil's Pawn on AllMovie

Hollywood actors who were tied to studio contracts often complained loudly about the quality of material they were given. They should have felt fortunate, however, compared to Pola Negri who -- when she wasn't being directed by Ernst Lubistsch -- made some really awful dramas for Germany's UFA. This picture isn't the worst of the bunch, but Negri is about the only good thing in it. Lea Raab (Negri) is a Jewish girl who wants to study at the University of Petrograd. The only way a Jewish woman can stay in the city, however, is to obtain a "yellow ticket," which signifies she is a "woman of shame." Lea doesn't care -- she gets the ticket and goes to the University. There, she finds another problem -- Jews aren't allowed to study there. So she takes the name of her tutor's dead sister and is admitted. She excels at her studies in medicine and has a romance with Nicholas, a fellow student. But to keep her "yellow ticket" status, Lea is forced haunt some pretty sleazy watering holes, and when Nicholas finds her at one, he dumps her. The despondent Lea jumps out of a window and in the hospital is saved by Professor Stanlaws, who turns out to be her real father. Finally, she is able to explain everything to Nicholas, who welcomes her back.