Rouged Lips on AllMovie

The title to this harmless light comedy was something of a tease -- not once does Tom Moore get to kiss the rouged lips of star Viola Dana. Norah MacPherson (Dana) is the orphaned daughter of a Scottish father and Irish mother (Francis Powers and Georgie Woodthorpe, who appear in dream-like sequences). She's working in a dentist's office when she's seen by James Patterson III (Moore), idle son of the wealthy James Patterson II (Sidney de Gray). Norah has a natural flair for dance, and young Patterson, a stage door Johnny, gets her a job in a chorus. But she doesn't make any new friends among the chorines, who scoff at her meager wardrobe. Patterson offers to help her buy new clothes, but she turns him down. Instead she takes her small savings and buys them herself. After seeing her new wardrobe, Patterson suspects that she is seeing someone else. The rift between the couple is healed when the young son (Burwell Hamrick) of Norah's roommate (Nola Luxford) reveals the truth. Norah and Patterson reconcile happily. This picture was based on the short story Upstage by Rita Weiman, an author of the day who was famous for her backstage tales.