aka Wallingford This comedy -- and the play of the same name by George M. Cohan -- were both based on the then-popular book by George Randolph Chester. Con artist J. Rufus Wallingford (Sam Hardy) is a schemer by nature and con artist by profession. He and his partner, "Blackie" Daw (Norman Kerry) land in the town of Battlesburg, Iowa and convince the folks there to invest their hard-earned cash in a phony company -- one that makes covered carpet tacks. The gimmick is going great, but both Wallingford and Daw fall in love with local girls, making them regret their crookedness. They finally decide to blow town, but then discover, when the salesman returns, that the carpet tacks are not only real, they're selling like hot cakes. Overnight, the cons become respected businessmen. Among the supporting cast are two leading ladies -- one past (Doris Kenyon) and one future (Billie Dove). A semi-sequel, The Son of Wallingford (directed by George Randolph Chester himself), was released arou nd the same time as this film, but with a different cast.
by Janiss Garza
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