Acting
Molly is a young woman who out of desperation after failing to find work steals a pocketbook from a society woman, Blanche Armstrong. This act leads her into a legal conflict involving the District Attorney, Roger Hackett, who uses the situation to pursue his own lustful interests.
Awaiting his release from prison an inmate takes stock of his life and resolves that never again will he be on the wrong side of the law.
Richard Barr, who lives in the suburbs of New York, and John Colville, honest directors of a dishonestly managed corporation, are fighting to save their own investments and those of small individual shareholders from ruin. They are holding a very important meeting that will last well into the night.
Reporter Tom Warder exposes a theatrical producer, Isaac Shuman, for sexually harassing young women, including Tom's girlfriend. After being forced out of town, Shuman returns years later to frame Tom for theft, leading to his imprisonment and the tragic death of his family.
Outlaw Jim Lewis is on the run with his partner "Tom," as his mother tries to protect him from a sheriff and posse in a Western town. Jim narrowly escapes, "Tom's" is captured and finally there is a final shootout where Jim, despite his mother's efforts and a wound, is killed near his home, ending with the "good guys" winning.
Mary Walton finds herself in a dire situation when her first husband falls seriously ill. In a misguided and desperate attempt to secure the resources or help needed to save her ailing husband, she becomes a bigamist by marrying another man. Things do not turn out well.
Pretty country girl Hazel Dorn sings in her church choir when she sees a newspaper advertisement for chorus girls placed by theatrical manager John Hern. Despite her mother's pleas, she leaves home for the city. Hern has personal reasons for hiring the young girl and intends to lure her to her ruin. However, another, older girl, Fannie Rice, who has already been a victim of Hern, contrives to save Hazel.
Kentucky moonshiner, Bill Evans lives with his family in the back hills. His daughter Mary marries another moonshiner, Jack Keane, which angers Bill Gale. The plot involves a love triangle and family conflict stemming from the moonshining life.
Illustrator Donald Barstow living in a run-down studio building develops an interest in the married Mrs. Blakely. She invites him to Philadelphia for the weekend and he accepts leading to unexpected complications for both.
Lumber magnate Elihu Bennett seeks a monopoly in California's redwoods, clashing with mountain families like the Simpsons, who own valuable timber land. His daughter Ruth Bennett, educated and independent, disguises herself as a stenographer to spy on Stocker, her father's unscrupulous partner, and discovers his fraudulent schemes. She falls for Jerry Simpson, a lawyer and leader of the mountain folk, learning of Stocker's plot to steal their land and destroy ancient trees, including a beloved sequoia. After Stocker assaults Ruth, Jerry saves her, and Stocker dies in a reckless escape down a water flume. Elihu Bennett, realizing the truth, agrees to let the Simpsons keep their land, and Ruth and Jerry's love story culminates.
Vera Ashton's criminal history resurfaces via her brother when he coerces her into robbing her wealthy employer. A shootout occurs; Vera fatally shoots her brother in self-defense. Her fiancé, Dixon, supports her claim of being his wife. A surprise revelation clears Vera, preventing her arrest.
Ranch foreman Ned Fern keeps the weekly payroll in his safe overnight. A gambler (and notorious murderer) holds Ned's I.O.U.s for a large amount. Ned's wife pleads with him not to gamble, but he goes anyway, increasing his debt to $1,500. The wife's actions and "wit" ultimately drive the plot.
Violet Waldron is the daughter of dissolute parents with no hope of redemption. Yet, strange as it may be, she is a loyal and loving soul, supporting her father and mother in their degradation, no matter how badly they mistreat her. Seeking help for Bill Waldron, who has overdosed on cocaine, she tries in vain to convince his mother, whom she finds in a wine room, to come home with her.
An American adventure film serial comprised of fifteen episodes of two reels (24 min) each. All chapters are presumed lost.
Clifton Boyle, a lead actor in a disbanded theater troupe. Boyle returns home to find his sister dying; she reveals she married Harold Welles, another actor, who abandoned her and their deceased baby. Boyle swears vengeance on Welles. Boyle tracks Welles down and uses the theatrical world to enact his revenge, making a real-life drama out of his sister's tragedy.
A man who believes his wife cares more for her dresses and social status than for their home life. To teach her a lesson and cure her of her vanity, he devises a plan to make her think he has lost all of his money. He hopes that by facing poverty, she will abandon her superficial ways and become a more devoted, practical wife.
14-year-old Tom is unable to find work to support his sick mother and has no food. He becomes despondent after being turned down by potential employers and sits on a park bench with his dog. A mysterious, unseen figure, referred to as "the social ghost," appears to offer him assistance.
Legendary gunslinger Two-Gun Hicks arrives in Moose Gulch, quickly dispatching a local bully, Bad Ike, then sets his sights on winning the heart of May Jenks, the wife of a town drunk, ultimately taking her from her husband in a classic tale of frontier justice and romance.
Sauntry, secretary to John Graydon, the wealthy banker, commits many robberies in the city among the wealthy class, gaining a rather sinister reputation. He hides his tracks by placing a wooden leg on one of the good ones, thus leaving a print and a round mark. Graydon's diamond disappears and the chain to which it was tied is found by Limpy Fisher, a boy from the East Side, with a wooden leg.
Young Jack Lewis is in love with Anna Mason, the sister of Sheriff Jim Mason. Jack is framed for a murder actually committed by a villainous bandit. After being imprisoned for the crime, Jack manages to escape. In a series of high-action sequences—including a spirit-filled defense of a cabin and a stagecoach holdup—Jack saves Anna and a stash of gold. Jack's name is eventually cleared when the true villain provides a confession, proving his innocence.