A Thief in Paradise is a 1925 American silent drama film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, directed by George Fitzmaurice, and adapted by Frances Marion from Leonard Merrick's 1900 novel The Worldlings.

Plot

Maurice Blake is a beachcomber and a pearl diver. Philip Jardine is the wayward son of a San Francisco millionaire, Noel Jardine. Both men are living on a Samoan island. During a dive, the two men fight over a pearl. During the fight, Jardine is attacked and killed by a shark. After his death, Rosa Carmino, a Samoan woman, informs Blake that she has a letter from Jardine's wealthy father, urging him to return to San Francisco. The envelope containing the letter includes $500 to pay for transportation. Carmino, knowing that Jardine's father has never seen his fully grown son, implores Blake to impersonate him. The two thieves, as they are alluded to in the movie's title, arrive in San Francisco and are welcomed by the Jardine family. Soon, Blake falls in love with Helen. Carmino, jealous of the affair, is paid off by Blake to maintain her silence. However, after Blake marries Helen, Carmino tells Helen the true story. Blake admits the truth to Helen and despondent, tries to kill himself. Helen, in love with Blake, refuses to leave him and instead nurses him back to health. As the movie ends, the elder Jardine improbably accepts Blake as his step son and Carmino returns to her native island. A feature of the film is a polo match between two teams of women, one team composed of blondes and another team composed of brunettes.