The 1924 film "The Red Lily" is a silent film set in France. Young lovers Jean and Marise are from a small town in Brittany and travel to Paris to be married. They are separated at a train station and both drift into the city's underworld. At one point a pickpocket examines Marise's change pouch and finds three French copper coins. The coins are real French coins of the period and the reverse of a ten centimes coin is shown.

Jean Leonnec and Marise La Noue live in Vivonne, a small town in Brittany.

They have been lovers since they were youngsters and wish to get married. Jean's father is the town mayor and opposes the marriage. Jean and Marise leave for Paris on a train.

Jean's father has sent two policemen to take Jean back to Vivonne and Marise is left at the train station. Jean manages to escape from the mayor's men, heads back to Paris, but can not find Marise. Marise, believing that she has been deserted, takes a series of manual labor jobs. Bo-Bo, a local crook, spots Marise sitting on a bench.

Bo-Bo isn't interested in her but in her change purse.

Bo-Bo quietly picks up the purse and opens it.

Bo-Bo finds three French copper coins and looks at them closely.

The three coins are two ten centimes coins and one five centimes coin. The reverse of a ten centimes coin is shown.

A French ten centimes coin of the period:

Bronze, 30 mm, 10.0 gm

These coins were minted from 1897 to 1921.

The French five centimes coin is similar to the ten centimes coin only smaller. Bo-Bo sees that Marise is broke and returns the twenty-five centimes to her purse.

Bo-Bo has introduced Jean to his underworld friends. They hang out at Madame Poussot's bar.

Jean has fallen in with a group of criminals and has become a burglar. Marise is now working as a "B-girl" or a woman who encourages men to buy her drinks.

The police are looking for Jean and one shoots him in the arm. A woman hides him in her room and he goes to sleep. When Jean wakes up the two recognize each other.

Then Jean gets a good look at Marise.

Jean is shocked by Marise's appearence, hits her, and then leaves. Jean returns to Marise's room and later the police pay a visit. A policeman shoots Marise while Jean opens a trap door and descends into the city sewers.

Jean escapes from the police and heads for the gang's rendezvous. Bo-Bo tells Jean that Marise is in the city hospital and is dying. Jean then visits Marise.

Marise has regained her looks and Jean prays to God that if she survives he will change his ways. Jean is then arrested and sent to prison for two years. Marise recovers and gets a position as a seamstress. Bo-Bo visits Marise and tells her that Jean is out of prison. Jean appears with flowers.

Jean and Marise are married.

Ramon Novarro as Jean Leonnec
Enid Bennett as Marise La Noue
Wallace Beery as Bo-Bo
Gibson Gowland as Le Turc
Dick Sutherland as The Toad
Rosemary Theby as Nana
Director: Fred Niblo
Writers: Fred Niblo, Bess Meredyth