Obtaining property by false pretenses is when a person obtains property by intentionally misrepresenting a past or existing fact.

The elements of false pretenses are: (1) a false representation (2) of a material past or existing fact (3) which the person making the representation knows is false (4) made for the purpose of causing (5) and which does cause (6) the victim to pass title (7) to his property [3] False pretenses is a statutory offense in most jurisdictions; subject matter covered by statute varies accordingly, and is not necessarily limited to tangible personal property - some statutes include intangible personal property and services. For example the North Carolina false pretense statute applies to obtaining "any money, goods, property, services, choses in action, or any other thing of value ..."[4] Under common law, false pretense is defined as a representation of a present or past fact, which the thief knows to be false, and which he intends will and does cause the victim to pass title of his property. That is, false pretense is the acquisition of title from a victim by fraud or misrepresentation of a material past or present fact.

Irene Ware (November 6, 1910 — March 11, 1993) was an American Hollywood movie actress and is considered one of early Hollywood's most beautiful starlets. Born with maiden name Ahlberg, she was an American beauty queen, crowned 1929's Miss United States (there was no Miss America pageant that year) and runner up in the Miss Universe competition of 1929. Irene appeared in 29 films between 1932-1940, and is mostly remembered for her roles as Princess Nadji in Chandu The Magician 1932 with Edmund Lowe and Bela Lugosi, and as Boris Karloff's and Bela Lugosi's leading lady in 1935's The Raven. She died in 1993, aged 82, in Orange, California.

Irene Catherine Ahlberg was born November 6,1910 in New York, New York of Swedish-Austrian ancestry. Her father, Ernest Ahlberg, born in Sweden, and manager of a saloon. Her mother, Anna Freya, born in New York from Austrian parents, was a successful real estate agent. She lived in New York and and Los Angeles. Her first marriage was with American screenwriter John Meehan Jr., who won three Oscars for his work. Her second marriage was to federal judge Fred Campbell. She left the industry to become a mother to her two children,John and Deirdre Meehan.

Sidney Alderman Blackmer (July 13, 1895 – October 6, 1973) was an American actor.

Blackmer was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. He started off in an insurance and financial business but gave up on it. While working as a builder's laborer on a new building, he saw a Pearl White serial being filmed and immediately decided to go into acting. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Blackmer went to New York hoping to act on the stage. While in the city, he took jobs and extra work at various film studios at the then motion picture capital, Fort Lee, New Jersey, including a bit part in the highly popular serial, The Perils of Pauline (1914).

He made his Broadway debut in 1917, but his career was interrupted by service in the U.S. military in World War I. After the war, he returned to the theatre and in 1929 returned to motion pictures and went on to be a major character actor in more than 120 films. He won the 1950 Tony Award for Best Actor (Drama) for his role in the Broadway play, Come Back, Little Sheba.

Betty Compson (March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress. Born Eleanor Luicime Compson in Beaver, Utah, she had an extensive film career. Her father died when she was young, and she was forced to drop out of school and earn a living for herself and her mother. She obtained employment as a violinist in a Salt Lake City, Utah, theater.

Compson made 25 films in 1916 alone, although most of them are shorts. She completed The Miracle Man (1919) for George Loane Tucker. Compson's rise as a star in motion pictures began with her portrayal of Rose in this production.

In 1920, she began to head her own company. She worked at the Hollywood Brunton studio and acquired three stories for films. Compson returned from New York City where she obtained financial backing for her motion picture productions.

Her first movie as producer was Prisoners of Love (1921). She played the role of Blanche Davis, a girl born to wealth and cursed by her inheritance of physical beauty. Compson selected Art Rosson to direct the feature. The story was chosen from a work by Catherine Henry.

Dot Farley (February 6, 1881 – May 2, 1971) was an American film actress. She appeared in 280 films between 1910 and 1950. Mainly known for her roles in short comedies, prolific with Mack Sennett in the silent days;she was later notable as the Mother-in-law of Edgar Kennedy in most of his series of short films at the RKO studios.

She was born Chicago, Illinois and died in South Pasadena, California.