The Splendid Crime

Jenny, a pretty thief, is discovered by Bob Van Dyke, a young millionaire, when she is about to burgle his safe. He lectures her on the evils of crime and, to test her decency, leaves her alone with a large roll of bills. Jenny decides to go straight and leaves the money alone. She then gets a job as a dressmaker and is later called to the Van Dyke home to do some work for Bob's sister, and Jenny discovers that, faced with financial ruin in the stock market, Bob is about to steal $20,000 from his housekeeper. To forestall him, Jenny arranges for her old confederates to steal the money first, taking the blame for the crime herself. Inspired by Jenny's example, Bob accepts his bankruptcy with grace, becomes a golf pro, and marries Jenny, who, in the meantime, has returned the money and settled her score with the law. A lost film

Directed by William C. deMille, The Splendid Crime leans on a strong ensemble — Bebe Daniels, Neil Hamilton, Anne Cornwall — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1925.