Two in a Crowd 1936

Larry Stevens is on the verge of eviction by landlady Lillie Eckleberger for unpaid rent. He happens to be passing by, as does Julia Wayne, when two halves of a ripped $1,000 bill drift down to the street. Up above, the gangster Bonelli has been handing out thousands to his girls, and one who’s angry with him tears the bill apart and throws it out the window.

Skeeter, a jockey, joins Julia and Larry as they figure out what to do with the money. Julia has a $500 debt she needs to repay, and Larry envisions using the cash to enter his horse Hector’s Pal in a big race. The torn bill turns out to be money stolen from a bank, the same place where Larry took it, drawing the attention of a suspicious detective, Flynn, who begins tailing Larry.

Larry also draws the notice of others with a stake in the plot: the unemployed actor James Stewart Anthony and the bank cashier Bennett, both eager for a share of the proceeds. Through it all, Larry clings to his love for Julia and his wish to help her realize her dream of performing in a show. A theatrical producer pretends to hire Julia on talent, but secretly plots with Larry to finance the production if his horse wins the race. As the track approaches, Julia races to the racetrack to see how the plan will unfold and whether the truth behind the money and the show will come to light.