Acting
Successful, but financially struggling architect Robert Crewe is devoted to his wife Marion and daughter Emily. Unknown to him, his Uncle Abner harbors a spite for him because Robert's father stole Abner's fiancée, who died in childbirth after their marriage. Mad for revenge Abner hires a beauty to break up Robert's home, but she fails. When Abner dies, he leaves Robert his fortune hoping it will lead to Robert's downfall. He is almost proved correct but when Robert and Marion are threatened with Emily's death, they finally decide to change their lives and bring the family back together.
An opium addict living in China decides to return home to the United States, only to become addicted to alcohol. He decides to stop drinking after forgetting his past and realizing what he has become. He changes his name to John Smith and starts fighting against liquor interests.
A poor orphan's dream of luxuries and a mother's love, which eventually becomes a reality
In The Gilded Cage, Alice Brady plays Princess Honore, who falls in love with a handsome prince who doesn't know her true identity (nor does she know his).
Vivacious little Gilberte, known as Frou Frou, is the daughter of M. Brigard, a retired merchant, who has as his companion in a life of gaiety, Comte Paul de Valreas, a much younger man. Both the Count and Henry de Sartorys are in love with Frou Frou, and when De Sartorys asks for the hand of Frou Frou, M. Brigard refers him to Louise, the elder daughter, who is in charge of the household. To Louise, who loves de Sartorys, comes the first anguish of her life, when he confides his love for Frou Frou. However, she confers with her little sister who agrees to marry De Sartorys. Paul also asks for Frou Frou's hand, but Brigard refuses, stating he is too jolly a companion to be trusted as a son-in-law.
Mrs. Clymer has great social aspirations, and every time she gave a party her husband was in the habit of going to the Hash House for his sinkers and coffee. One night she panned him to a whisper for not showing up at one of her shindigs, so he promised to be on hand for the next one. Sometime later Mrs. Clymer railed the hens one afternoon for a musical. Hubby happened home early, so nothing would do but he must get gussied up and entertain the ladies. There was one young grass widow present who looked mighty good to hubby. His wife had told him to pay some attention to her lady friends, so he extended himself. Before sending the widow home he got her address and told her he kind of wished he was single. Mrs. Clymer got his number and forbade him to ever show up at another one of her parties.
A man discovers that he has two personalities--and one of them is a notorious strangler.
Clara was no longer a Spring Chicken, and when she passed the Thirty Mark, she began to worry for fear that she could never Rope In a Bread Earner, so she got busy. There was one chap in particular who looked awfully good to her, but the younger girls were hot on his trail, and did their utmost to keep Clara out of his way. Finally Clara got rid of her competitors in the Man Hunt when they all went to a summer resort. She was surrounded by Suitors, and Mr. Gibbs was very much in evidence. The afternoons that followed were a repetition of the first day, while the girls up at the lake were making a fuss over some little Freshman.
Jim Melcher, a swindler and a rogue, induces Rhoda, a society girl, to marry him. She later discovers his dishonest methods, but her sense of loyalty is so great that she stands by him. He is planning to pull off the biggest robbery of his career and insists that she assist him.
When a judge is financially ruined by Peter Brownley, a Wall Street millionaire, his daughter seeks revenge by getting a job in the tycoon's office. She manages to discover information that she believes her father can use to recover his swindled money and do to Peter what he did to her father. However, she meets and falls in love with Robert, the son of the man who ruined her father.
A 1917 silent film drama
Dancing instructor Madame Cassell spends the day having her feet trampled by auto enthusiast Wally trying to teach him the prevailing dance craze. In gratitude Wally takes her for a spin in his new fangled automobile.
When Doris Baker spends her husband Dick into serious debt, he embezzles funds from the bank where he works to cover some speculative investments. He is joined in these plans by one of the bank's directors, but when Doris unknowingly snubs the director's wife, he pulls out his aid. Dick finds himself in serious trouble, and then Doris leaves him after an argument. She is about to leave for the Orient with her daughter Bessie, a friend, Mrs. Prescott, and an admirer, Patrick Alliston, but they are stopped at the station because Dick is believed to be with them. He isn't, and his difficulties drive him to an aborted suicide attempt. Doris finally wakes up to what is going on and reconciles with Dick. The bank examiner looks over the books and helps Dick get back on his feet, much to the director's chagrin.
Mrs. Trenwith is a typical shallow, thoughtless society woman. Her husband is wrapped up in business and as a result their little daughter, Marjory, suffers greatly from neglect. Her old nurse, Franchette, loves her dearly. Mr. Trenwith leaves town on a business trip while his wife goes to a house party, where she meets Ralph Eccles, a typical society tempter. She leads him on.
James Wadsworth sets his sights on the lovely society girl Anna Dalton and determines to marry her. To achieve that goal, he follows her everywhere she goes, including on a ship to South America. He comes up with a plan to make her love him--he throws her overboard, follows her over the side and swims with her to a deserted island. His somewhat unorthodox method works and he wins over Anna, but problems arise when Richard Towne, Anna's fiancé who has been searching for her, finds the island and discovers the two.
Jim Blake, the playboy son of a New York millionaire, heads west to prove himself a man. He goes to work on his father's ranch in Wyoming, and eventually wins over the locals by turning the tables on a town bully and trying to collect damages from a railroad magnate, whose trains have killed many of the Blake ranch's cattle. When the railroad refuses to pay, Jim comes up with a plan that will make them pay far more than they originally had to. Problems arise when he falls in love with Alice, the railroad magnate's daughter.
Pierre, a trapper in the great northwest, catches a season's prize, a silver fox. Rene Bennett is fortunate in catching the mate. The two men are explaining to a trader, when Pierre discovers that his silver fox has disappeared from his sled. The trapper accuses Bennett and the latter is shot. Pierre flees and is seen later in the home of Mrs. Bennett, where she secretes him from the Northwest Mounted Police. Pierre later saves Mrs. Bennett from death, by carrying her to town, where he faces the man he had shot, her husband. The climax comes when a half-breed tries to sell Pierre's prize.
Celia had been married only a few months. Her husband received a small salary, and Celia could not understand why it was she did not have the pretty things her friends had. One day, while on a shopping tour with her chum, Rose, she is persuaded to buy two beautiful statuettes. The price was a little more than she could afford, but she thought she could pay her chum for them, thereby not creating the suspicions of her husband. Her conscience gets the better of her, however, and she confesses all to him. They quarrel.
Presenting Miss Irene Hough, who was recently voted the most beautiful telephone operator in America. Arnold Cummins, a millionaire, tells his wife of his love for another woman, and informs her that as soon as he can obtain a divorce he Intends to marry her. Mrs. Cummins is stunned.
The man meets and falls in love with a girl much younger than himself, and decides to cast off the woman with whom he had had a love affair. He goes to his old sweetheart and asks her to return his love letters. She does so on condition that he tell the new girl of their affair. He does not live up to his promise, but tells her that she is the first girl he has ever loved. In the meantime, he has lost his letters, and the new sweetheart, upon finding them, returns them to the owner. From this source she is advised to have nothing more to do with him unless she is convinced in her own mind that he is kneeling to her in spirit at all times.