Jim Wilson is separated from his wife Bella, so when his maiden Aunt Selina -- who thoroughly disapproves of divorce -- comes to visit, Wilson is compelled to locate a temporary wife. His friend, Kit Eclair, is happy to fill in, but during a party, his home is quarantined for smallpox. To complicate matters, a burglar is hiding from a cop in Wilson's home, and wacky Anne Brown is busy trying to hold a seance.
A professional boxer known as "Smiling Bill Flannigan" accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. He gives up the sport and heads west. He gets a job on a ranch as a cook, and before he knows it he finds himself involved in a war between ranchers and sheepherders.
War buddies Whitey and Skeeter have become safecrackers. On a job, Skeeter is surprised by the police and killed. Later Whitey discovers that the lowlife Mal is the police informer responsible for Skeeter's death. Whitey sets out to find his moll Kitty, hearing she has gone to the country to find peace and quiet he finds her in a small town. She is involved with bank clerk Fred Morton, so Whitey pretends he has found someone else too. When Mal arrives in town as the advance man for a con and he pursues Skeeter’s sister Evelyn, Kitty tells the story of her own criminal past to save her. Fred drops her, and Kitty tries to drown herself in the river. Whitey saves her life and exposes Fred as an embezzler.
Rodrigo, an impoverished Italian nobleman takes a job with a New York antique dealer he met overseas. Swearing off women, Rodrigo focuses on his job. But complications arise when he falls in love with his friend's secretary-- and his friend's wife looks to make a date with him.
A gang of crooks led by Holden steals a government code, and Cyril Gordon, a Secret Service agent who bears a strong resemblance to the gang leader, is assigned to recover the stolen documents.
Robert Lanning, a proper Bostonian who owns an estate in southern New Mexico, suspects that some of his employees are smuggling arms into Mexico, and sends his son, Robert Jr., to investigate. During his journey west, Robert meets Mary Hamilton, a stranded actress from a roadshow company of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Because Mary is still in costume as the character, “Little Eva,” Robert mistakes her for a child and takes her with him to the ranch. He ultimately discovers the identity of the arms smugglers and, with the help of the Mexican Rurales, brings the gang to justice. Robert then realizes that Mary is not a child and wins her for his wife.
White Elk, a light-skinned Indian chief, incurs the enmity of Chief Black Panther, whom he prevents from looting a westbound wagon train. Although White Elk is betrothed to an Indian princess, he falls in love with Lucille Cavanagh, a white woman from the East. After her father, John Cavanagh, tricks White Elk into signing away the lands of his tribe, the young chief is condemned to be burned alive by Black Panther.
A twenty-year veteran of the printing room of The San Francisco Chronicle is passed up for a promotion at the same time his son is accused of graft and involved in scandal. The historical landmarks of old San Francisco are present: The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Building, City Hall and the Pickwick Hotel-- but they don't distract from the dramatic and emotional perforamces at the film's center.
Anne Marie (Lili Lani) gets invited by her aunt to a hotel to to meet her admirers. Not to fulfill her aunt's wishes, but to verify who works at the hotel.
The Great Maranelli, a stunting circus clown, falls instantly in love when he sees Dorothy Langdon, who does not think too much of him and lets him know it. He is so smitten that his works suffers to the extent that he is soon just a hobo drifting along the open road. When he again encounters Dorothy, she gets him a job as a salesman with her father's light-and-power company, and proves to be a a real "live-wire" salesman. He is then put in charge of the lighting in an amusement park being built under Dorothy's supervision, and trouble comes many directions, guided by Dorothy's cad fiancée who wants to make the stock in the project worthless so he can buy it cheaply.
Rangy Pete Grainger is a cowboy who saves a rancher and his daughter from being kicked off their property by the ubiquitous evil landlord.
Raffles is an English gentleman with a secret life—he is the notorious jewel thief known as "The Amateur Cracksman." While sailing from India to England accompanied by his friend, Bunny Manners, it is rumored that the infamous cracksman is aboard ship. Raffles warns a lady passenger to keep an eye on her necklace, which is stolen soon afterward. Although a search reveals no evidence, the necklace is returned upon reaching London.
Pelle Frisk is second-in-command on the S/S Hispania. He is a fighter and a ladies man and known as "The Flying Dutchman".
A lumber man called the Timber Wolf comes to the aid of an old prospector.
A group steals a death ray in order to terrorise the world into peace. The inventor and his daughter try to retrieve the death ray with the aid of a government agent.
Gilda is a crook who wants to go straight, but her pals keep holding her back. She moves to Hollywood to begin anew but the old gang follows behind. Can she stop them from ruining her new life?
While romancing the millinery store owner, Custer finds himself falsely accused of murdering his boss and is soon fleeing from a vicious lynch mob.
Buster Brown and his dog Tige wreck havoc on the neighborhood, pester Mary Jane and worry Buster’s mother.
Tim Kelly is an orphan who runs away after his orphanage burns down. Presumed to be killed in the fire, he is able to roam the streets of New York freely. He meets Max Ginsberg, an old Jewish junk dealer with rheumatism, and the two strike a partnership and a close friendship.
Alcoholic playboy Wallace MacDonald (as Bruce Armstrong) would like to sober up and become more responsible, after a drinking accident causes him to cripple little brother Pat Moore (as Jimmy Armstrong). Still, the lure of liquor makes him to sneak drinks at home, and go out partying with carefree showgirl Clara Bow (as Marilyn Merrill). He's promised Ms. Bow he'll quit drinking and gambling. Further complicating Mr. MacDonald's life are the bad checks he's been accumulating. Nasty Stuart Holmes (as Tom Canfield) and Tom Santschi (as "Big Joe" Snead) force MacDonald to join their diamond smuggling racket, in lieu of payment.
