Loose Ankles 1930

Ann Harper Berry, played by Loretta Young, is a young and spirited socialite who unexpectedly inherits a substantial estate of $70,000 annually from her late grandmother—an amount equivalent to about one million dollars today. However, this inheritance comes with unusual conditions outlined in the will. Ann can only claim her inheritance if she marries a man who has the approval of her two very conservative aunts, Sarah (played by Louise Fazenda) and Katherine (played by Ethel Wales). In addition, the will specifies a strict rule: if Ann is involved in any scandal before her marriage, her entire inheritance will be forfeited and donated to an organization dedicated to the welfare of cats and dogs.

Feeling frustrated and constrained by these restrictions, Ann is determined to challenge the rules. She resents being told whom she can or cannot marry and devises a plan to create a scandal herself. Her scheme involves placing a classified ad in the newspaper, seeking out a man willing to jeopardize her reputation for money. Gilly Hayden, portrayed by Douglas Fairbanks Jr., answers her ad and shows up at her apartment. To amplify the scandalous nature of the act, Ann’s maid persuades Gilly to remove his clothing before the approaching newspaper reporters arrive. Just as things are escalating, Ann’s two aunts unexpectedly arrive, intent on preventing the scandal from ruining their niece. They attempt to coerce Gilly into marrying Ann immediately. However, Gilly, not wanting to be forced into a marriage for reasons other than love, makes a dramatic escape by leaping out of the window, only dressed in a woman’s robe.

Despite the initial chaos, Ann and Gilly have already begun to develop genuine feelings for each other during their short time together. Meanwhile, Gilly’s roommate, Raymond Keane, playing Lint Harper, becomes interested when Gilly recounts what happened with Ann. Lint, eager to secure a share of Ann’s fortune, devises a plan to marry her himself. He invites Ann to a lively nightclub called the Circus Cafe, where more misunderstandings and antics ensue. At the club, Ann encounters her aunts again—who are there under the guise of being escorted by two gigolos, who happen to be other roommates of Gilly. The night takes a chaotic turn when the aunts, after drinking heavily due to the gigolos’ scheming, manage to escape amidst a police raid on the club.

In a bold move to free herself from her aunts’ meddling, Ann blackmails them into giving her consent to marry Gilly. She threatens to expose their scandalous behavior at the nightclub if they refuse. Relieved and with their agreement secured, Ann and Gilly are finally free to pursue their budding romance, unencumbered by the rules of her inheritance and the antics of her aunts. The story highlights themes of independence, love defying societal expectations, and the humorous chaos that can arise when young people challenge tradition to find their happiness.