Fools' Highway on AllMovie

This rather trite romance was saved by its colorful backdrop; the setting is the New York Bowery of the early 1890s. Mamie Rose (Mary Philbin) works as a mender in the secondhand clothing shop run by Old Levi (Max Davidson). Levi's son, Max (William Collier Jr.) is a gentle, meek soul who loves Mamie, but she has also attracted the attention of Mike Kildare (Pat O'Malley). Kildare is a pugilist and henchman for the local political boss and he's surprised when Mamie doesn't swoon over him. But soon enough he figures out that Mamie isn't the sort of girl he is used to and he decides to reform. He quits the boss, only to discover that Mamie has decided to leave town. He finds her giving Max a sweet good-bye and mistakes the scene for something more passionate. The result is an argument, after which Mamie betrays Kildare to his old gang. When she realizes exactly what she's done, it's too late and Kildare suffers a terrible beating. But the incident wins Mamie's love, and the pair marry.