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Somehow, the original French title of this romantic melodrama is so much more poetic than its English title, Illegitimate Child. The plot spans the years 1910 to 1927, as seen through the eyes of a celebrated stage actress. In the early portions of the story, the heroine is the secret mistress of a rising politician, bearing him a son. Realizing that she will ruin her lover's career if she reveals that she is the mother of the baby, she agrees to tell no one. Seventeen years later, the son has grown up to become a star newspaper reporter, dedicating himself to destroying the politician's career -- never dreaming that he is targeting his own father. Though her lover has long since deserted her, the actress comes forth to persuade her son to cease his vitriolic newspaper campaign. The fact that she is still faithful to him despite his callous behavior forces the politician to rethink his priorities, whereupon he finally proposes marriage to her.