A decadent count posing as a necktie salesman falls in love with the innocent organ grinder in the city’s pleasure zone, populatead by an edgy assortment of characters. In Vienna circa World War I, decadent Count Franz Maximillian von Hohenegg (Norman Kerry), posing as a necktie salesman, falls in love with innocent Agnes (Mary Philbin), an organ grinder in the city's pleasure zone. An edgy assortment of characters including Franz's cigar-puffing mother, a sadistic brute and rapist, a sensitive hunchback and his trained gorilla, and royalty and circus freaks populate this lavishly-produced and fascinating cinematic classic. Though his name appears nowhere on the final product, legendary director Eric von Stroheim (Greed) penned the story and script, oversaw the sets and costumes, selected the cast, and directed at least one-quarter of the film before being fired by production head Irving Thalberg and replaced by director Rupert Julia.