This brief look at mid nineteenth century New York City, a period of mass immigration, street gangs, political corruption, and the worst civilian insurrection in the country's history, lends insight into the inspiration for Martin Scorsese's new movie, Gangs of New York.
Somewhat reminiscent of 'Mädchen in Uniform' (1931), the story is set in a private girl's school, populated almost exclusively by children from broken homes. Among the few students who can claim family stability is Micheline Presle, but even her happiness is threatened when her lawyer father Andre Luguet inaugurates an affair with stage actress Jacqueline Debulac. With the help of Debulac's daughter Louisa Carletti, Presle is able to break up her father's romance and deliver him into the open arms of her mother Marcelle Chantal.