The character of the photographer was at the periphery of Engel's previous features—Little Fugitive and Lovers and Lollipops—but here he takes center stage. Myhers portrays Al, a commercial photographer who struggles with his failure to achieve creative success and feels pressure from his assistant (Lindfors) to marry and settle down. The couple's relationship is challenged further with the arrival of Al's mother (Barile), an Italian immigrant who was evicted from her boarding house and speaks very little English. Richard Leacock credited Engel with making the first theatrical feature which employed mobile sync sound (Engel's earlier films had been dubbed), creating a more lively and authentic portrait of city life.