Skeets Harrigan

Struggling songwriter from the film Tin Pan Alley (1940).

Set in 1915, he falls for singer Katie Blane of The Blane Sisters who loans him and his partner Harry Calhoun money to buy a song that will bring success. But Skeets gives it to popular real singer Nora Bayes (played by Esther Ralston) instead, and Katie breaks up with him.

The film was remade in 1950 as I'll Get By, and this character's name changed to William Spencer.