Acting
A famous picture, stolen from an Italian gallery, finds its way to the Corcoran gallery in Washington. When its identity with the stolen painting is discovered, plans are made to restore the canvas to the rightful owners, but in pursuance of a plot of jealousy, it is made to appear that Virginia Lake has copied the painting and has substituted the copy for the original; retaining the latter. The plot is helped by Virginia's absence on an errand of mercy, but in the end her innocence is established and justice is done.
Spies from Japan conspire to steal the Channing "preparedness" fortune and invade the United States, beginning in New York, then allying themselves with Mexicans across the border. They are stopped by the efforts of munitions factory heiress Patria Channing and U.S. Secret Service agent Donald Parr.
Bella Donna ( Pauline Frederick ) a seductive woman snares Nigel Armine ( Thomas Holding ) into marriage and he takes her to Egypt to live. Tired of her simple husband, Bella becomes involved with brutish Baroudi. To get rid of Nigel, she begins slowly poisoning him. However, Nigel's friend Dr. Isaacson arrives in time to save him. Now Baroudi wants nothing to do with Bella, and neither does her husband. Totally alone now, the distraught Bella wanders off into the desert.
A man is drugged and appears to be a leper, until he is cured. He returns a wealthy man, but unrecognizable to his wife, who has married another man. He ruins their lives by swindling them out of their money, and then convincing the husband that his wife is unfaithful.
Barbara Rand is blinded when she leaps through a window to escape an assailant. Her sister, Natalie, reluctantly abandons her fiancé, Ned Gardiner, and marries Oliver Landis, who can provide the money needed for Barbara's operation. Unaware that Oliver was Barbara's attacker, Natalie blames his business partner, Howard Pollard, who was with Barbara on the night she was injured. Natalie holds Howard at gunpoint, but when her husband arrives, he promises to deal with the villain making sure Howard falls to his death. Upon Barbara’s release from the hospital, Oliver tries to blind her once. Natalie threatens him with a pistol, but Oliver wrests it away from her. He then realizes that he can no longer hide his guilt from Natalie or the police and shoots himself. Barbara has been avenged, and Natalie is free to marry Ned.
Catherine Ames impulsively marries district attorney James Darwin after suffering Wilbur Emerson's neglect. Emerson turns to a career of high finance, but borrows unlawfully on notes to avoid disaster. Darwin prosecutes the investigation case. One of Emerson's business associates, George Cowper, gives a signed confession to Darwin. Emerson breaks into Catherine's room to obtain the confession, but is caught by Darwin, who accuses his wife of unfaithfulness.
Wealthy businessman Frank Powell falls in love late in life with Olive Meade, the sister of Governor Carroll Carson's wife Irene. One day Frank sees Olive embracing his younger brother Bert. As he leaves dejectedly, Frank discovers Irene, whose busy elderly husband neglects her, with society idler Rodney Foster.
Lucy Millington is an independent woman who looks upon men with contempt. Novelist Donald Prime, who has written a book on women, considers himself an authority on the subject. Both are lured into the desolate backwoods of Arcady by adventurers who plan to keep them in captivity until a fortune bequeathed to them has been safely deposited in the hands of their rivals.
Scandalous European temptress Lila Despard, travels to America to escape her lover, criminal Jack Firthenbras. On the ship, she meets Andrew Livingston, a United States Navy planner, and Senator and Mrs. Gales. Her new friends host a party for Lila in Washington, D.C., where a spy named Dromiroff threatens to expose her past unless she steals Andrew's secret naval plans. In order to secure the papers, Lila makes love to Andrew, but the plan backfires when she falls in love with him.
No description available.
Major Temple vainly tries to purchase of the priests the Green God he sees on a visit to China. He commissions Robert Ashton to get it for him, promising him the hand of his daughter in marriage.
Based on an international scandal that hit prewar France, when the editor of the Paris daily LE FIGARO, Gaston Calmette was shot to death by Madame Caillaux, wife of the Minister of Finance for his exposè of her husband's traitorous activities on behalf of Germany.
Singer Rosa Roma signs a contract with backer Ogden Ward, forbidding love, public appearances, and using her real name. She breaks the contract by falling for composer Griffith Ames, starring in his opera, leading to conflict, a stolen ruby necklace, false accusations against Ames, and ultimately, their reunion after the real thief confesses.
Financial troubles force Nell Carroll, a thoroughbred, to seek employment in a detective agency which has just taken up the trail of a very baffling jewelry robbery in an exclusive summer colony. In order to work from the inside, she is sent to the place as the Baroness Du Vassey.
While developing a powerful explosive, naval officer Paul Towne introduces his friend Richard Tracy to Judith Corbin, his friend since childhood. For years, Paul had assumed that he would marry Judith, but when Richard proposes, Judith, tired of waiting for Paul, accepts. Soon after the marriage, Richard becomes more interested in the new explosive than in his new wife, and to pay off gambling debts, he agrees to steal the formula and sell it to a foreign government.
Political graft collector, David Power forced by the district attorney to leave New York takes cabaret singer Hebe Norse with him. Showing talent in a variety of professions, Power is eventually hired by a great steel manufacturer, Gail Rogers. He falls in love with Rogers' daughter Rosalie, and they marry happily until Rogers returns home with a new wife…. Hebe Norse. When Rogers discovers Hebe's past, the two men sever ties as does Rosalie. Vengefully Rogers tries to ruin one of Power's companies without success. Ultimately Rosalie forgives Power and they and their young daughter are reunited.
Lily Gibbs is involved with two crooks—her lover, Jim Corling, and Dr. Joe Parmenter. The criminals hatch a scheme to pass Lily off as the daughter-in-law of the wealthy Mrs. Wade, whose son has died. During a staged seance, Mrs. Wade is manipulated into believing that Lily was her son's secret wife. Mrs. Wade takes Lily into her home, showering her with wealth and affection. While living this lie, Lily falls in love with Arthur Brent, a man who treats her with genuine kindness. This new experience makes her want to leave her criminal past behind. Lily's resolve to break away is cemented when she discovers that Dr. Joe was responsible for the death of Mrs. Wade's son. After both of her former criminal associates meet their deaths, Lily confesses her deception to Mrs. Wade. She is forgiven and finds happiness, marrying Brent.
Seductress Leila Templeton lures Harleth Crossley into a supposed assignation at his wife Marcia’s dinner party making a fool of them both. Following other compromising situations and his declaration of needing “personal liberty” Marcia divorces him. Still enamored of Leila, he marries her, but she remains a selfish flirt and Otis Vale, whom Leila has driven insane with her teasing, abducts her. In the mad dash away their automobile tumbles over a cliff, killing them both. When Harleth learns that "Mrs. Crossey" has died, he imagines it to be Marcia, and rushes to her. The relief he shows convinces her that their "invisible bond" is intact, and they reconcile.
In 64 A.D., Marcus Superbus is Prefect of Rome. When the Emperor Nero decides to renew persecution of the Christians, Marcus opposes him, fearing for the safety of Mercia, the Christian woman whom he loves. Through the machinations of the Empress Poppaea and other women at court, Tigellinus, Nero's agent in the war against the Christians, convinces Nero to have Mercia arrested. Marcus appeals to the emperor for mercy, but is told that she can be saved only by renouncing Christianity. Waiting to enter the arena to be killed, Mercia steadfastly refuses to reject her religion, despite Marcus' pleas. Finally, Marcus is converted by her and they enter the arena to face death together.
