Aspiring playwright Lila Lake (Alice Day), gypped by a phony theatrical agency, finds herself stranded in New York. Meanwhile, the mother (Ethel Clayton) of wealthy Jimmy Duval (Charles Cruze) tries to save her son from the clutches of a predatory female. Thanks to clever lawyer Philip Thorne (Theodore von Eltz), the lives of Lila and Jimmy converge. The title makes no more sense than the plot, since the "New York Wife" -- who briefly hires Lila as a personal secretary -- is but a minor character. Critics were amused by the unbelievable behavior of the characters, especially a pair of funny-paper private detectives. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi