The Cheat (1915)

In the smoky, fast-paced world of Wall Street, Richard Hardy toils relentlessly as a stockbroker, his every heartbeat echoing with the strain of his wife's extravagant lifestyle. Edith Hardy, a radiant socialite, dances on the edge of fiscal recklessness, deaf to Richard's pleas for financial prudence. When she stumbles upon a tantalizing piece of insider information, Edith's impulsive nature leads her down a treacherous path. She siphons $10,000 from the Red Cross charity she presides over, entrusting the money to a risky stock tip that promises a whirlwind of high-style gowns and decadence. When the investment crumbles, leaving her holding the ashes of her audacious gamble, Edith plunges deeper into the web of deceit. She turns to Tori, a suave Japanese ivory trader she has been carelessly enticing, and convinces him to replenish the lost funds in exchange for a clandestine rendezvous. Yet, when Richard's long-anticipated deal finally secures a financial windfall, Edith seeks an escape from her unseemly pact with Tori. Tori, affronted by her resistance, brands her shoulder with an ominous Japanese symbol of ownership, marking his claim on her. Enraged and violated, Edith retaliates, shooting him in the shoulder. In the aftermath, Richard steps forward to shield his wife from the scandal, confessing to the crime and facing a trial for attempted murder. As the courtroom drama unfolds, secrets spill into the open and tensions rise. Edith is forced to reveal the truth to a courtroom filled with resentful faces, igniting a firestorm of public anger. The Hardys' world teeters on the precipice of ruin, a chilling testament to the dangerous allure of greed and deception.

The Cheat is a drama movie featuring Sessue Hayakawa.

The Cheat is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Public Domain Movies and Tubi TV and it's also available on Amazon Prime Video, FlixFling, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy The Cheat on FlixFling.