The Meanest Man in the World

In Pottsville, Clarke runs a small legal practice characterized by his generosity and belief in his clients' innocence. His black paralegal assistant notes that his kindness is hindering profit. He's secretly in love with Janie Brown, whose wealthy father would rather see her wed another man.

Janie Brown and her father are hit on their way home after visiting Clarke. Clarke begins litigation against the poor farmer to claim damages, hoping to impress Janie's father and cement their alliance. When he learns the farmer can't pay, he drops the suit, revealing his good heart but causing friction with Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown recognizes Clarke's potential and pushes him to leave Pottsville for New York City, where bigger cases and wealth await. Clarke, motivated by ambition and love, packs up with his paralegal and relocates to the metropolis to grow his practice.

After moving to NYC, Clarke struggles for four months with no clients and a growing sense of desperation. He scrambles to impress Janie and her father by finding a nicer apartment, prompting him to quietly occupy an empty unit. When Janie and Mr. Brown visit, Clarke then entertains them in style, taking them to a nightclub to showcase his changing persona.

Clarke treats Janie to a showy night on the town, and Janie is briefly wowed by his 'success.' He convinces her that they should wait a month before marrying, giving him time to secure real footing in his new life. This plan hedges on his growing but fragile image as a changing man.

In a bid to bring in paying clients, Clarke deliberately adopts a harsher stance and starts swaggering on the streets. He steals a lollipop from a little boy, and a passing photographer captures the act. The photo lands in the newspaper with the caption 'Meanest Man In The World Takes Candy From Baby', sparking public scandal but also business.

The publicity brings crowds of clients, including billionaire Frederick P. Leggitt seeking eviction of his old sister-in-law, Frances. Clarke agrees to help Frances and lets her live in his apartment, deepening the moral gray area of his reform.

Janie is appalled by Clarke's apparent flip to meanness and publicly ends their engagement. She suspects he's changing for money and status rather than love. The rupture sets up a domino effect of misunderstandings about Clarke's living arrangements.

A chain of miscommunications about Frances leads the public to believe she has taken her life in the river. Clarke is implicated, and a photographer captures the tension, escalating the scandal. The rumor spreads, threatening Clarke's new career and his relationship with Janie.

While grieving, Janie learns about Clarke sharing his apartment with a woman and confronts him in the street. Clarke is slapped in public, and a second photographer captures the moment. The next day's paper claims that Janie is the woman living with Clarke, fueling Mr Brown's anger.

Following a confrontation, Mr. Brown arranges for Clarke and Janie to marry in New York under judicial pressure. Shufro reveals to Janie the truth about Frances before the ceremony, clarifying the earlier deception. The couple's marriage becomes a reaction to the mounting pressures.

After the ceremony, Mr. Brown reiterates that Clarke must return to Pottsville to reform and learn to be a good husband. Janie explains the misunderstanding to her father and vows to stand by Clarke. The film ends with their renewed commitment and a path toward happiness.