The arrest in America of a foreigner for evading military service in his native land results in his daughter becoming "No. 274" in an orphanage. She is later adopted by a couple who plan to sell her into matrimonial slavery, but she wins the love of a rich young man, who marries her. Later she is reunited with her father through playing a violin, to which she has clung through all her misadventures.
Carteret, an artist, adopts Célestine, a French orphan who gives evasive answers to questions about a certain young "man", her close acquaintance. A detective observes the movements of Célestine and the mysterious stranger, whom he believes is involved in a murder case. The artist, realizing that he is in love with his adopted daughter, is about to propose to her when she "runs away" with the stranger, who is actually the girl he had adopted and who has married an army officer, with Célestine acting as his proxy. Delighted by the turn of events, Carteret decides to marry Célestine immediately.
A silent film about the famous Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean, whose life intertwines with a young woman, Anna Damby, and Countess Koefeld. Kean, inspired by the Countess, becomes entangled in a plot involving Anna, her guardian, and a roué named Lord Melville. The story culminates in a benefit performance where Kean's passionate denouncement of the Prince of Wales leads to his downfall.
After losing his factory job, virtuoso violinist Tommy Breen is inspired by June Norton, who lives in the same boardinghouse to write his song, "When You Smile with Your Eyes in Mine." Song publisher Simon Berg signs Tommy and the song becomes an enormous success. Success goes to Tommy’s head, he forgets June, surrounds himself with Broadway lowlife, spends extravagantly, and becomes infatuated with Mona Merwin, a musical comedy performer. He hits a rough patch, and June asks Berg to help her save Tommy from himself, so he decreases Tommy's royalty checks. Tommy's Broadway friends desert him when the checks stop coming. Now that Tommy has seen the error of his ways Berg sends him to a country cottage he purchased in Flatbush, where Tommy finds June waiting to marry him.
Gerry Sands dreams of being an editor but is forced by his employer, locksmith Nick Barket, to crack safes. During a robbery he experiences an epiphany and stops. His sweetheart Polly Ann Kerry is thrilled and gets him work at the hotel where she works, but Red Devlin, the brains behind the burglaries, frames Gerry for theft. In hopes that Gerry will resume the thefts Devlin bails him out, but Gerry leaves town for work on a Western newspaper. Afterwards Polly exposes the crooks, she falls ill. Risking arrest Gerry returns and goes to the police station seeking help locating her. The police captain gives him twenty-four hours’ probation. Upon finding Polly the police captain vouches for Gerry's integrity, and they marry.
Used-car salesman Ralph Slippery has found the perfect way to unload old worn-out automobiles; he places a cardboard model of a new, luxury car next to the junker, and the customer drives off in the jalopy. Ralph is long gone when the irate buyers return.
Van Bibber is spending his vacation with Colonel Paddock's party at the ranch owned by Paddock's friend. The peace and quiet is often disturbed by a desperado known as The Mad Racer, who has been hired to keep Van out of the Buggy Race.
A salmon taster enlists and is put to work passing out salmon to the troops. When he is assigned to take the salmon in the lines he gets absent minded and throws hand grenades over to the hungry buddies. With the aid of a battalion of chorus-girls dressed like Anzacs and who appear for no reason at all, the recruit captures a company of Germans and is decorated by the Colonel.
Two reeler served as Jean Arthur's screen debut.
Hoping to reconcile her divorced parents, Norris Gradley remains with her father, Giles, after he marries another woman. The new Mrs. Gradley snubs and mistreats Norris, who earns money by disguising herself as a boy and playing the violin at dances. Claude Wolcott, employed by Giles to drill oil wells, falls in love with Norris.
John Weston leaves his wife and kids to marry adventuress Doris Clark and loses his mind when he realizes his mistake. A lost film.
Millionaire Kent Whitney is warned by Bob Harkness, one of her rejected suitors, about the fickleness of his girlfriend, socialite Myra Hastings. Together they concoct a scheme to teach her a lesson. Kent invites Myra home to meet his family, and she goes, expecting to find an atmosphere of elegance and refinement. Instead, she is greeted by Kent's eccentric father, who affronts her with crude jokes; Kent's mother is introduced reclining on a couch, surrounded by yapping dogs and Myra flees. Upon discovering that the evening was a ruse, Myra decides to retaliate. She hires a fake minister, pretends to marry Kent and then deserts him, leaving behind a message explaining that the ceremony was a farce. Kent pursues Myra and persuades her that a real marriage is in order.
During World War I, Louise, a French girl, refuses to leave her château after the invading Germans take it over for use as their headquarters. A German officer, Col. von Knorr, makes repeated advances on her, but she rebuffs him.
When his horse is conscripted by the government for service in France, Buck Thomas enlists and becomes the orderly to the captain entrusted with the horse.
When Henry Boone hears his grandfather's stories of his youth as a pioneer and scout, he is gripped by the fires of romance and decides to hunt adventure. Boone finds himself in an airplane carrying a military message to a leader of a revolution in a South American country. He is arrested as a spy but escapes and saves the ruler's daughter from the revolutionaries.
Bat "No Limit" Carson, U.S. deputy marshal has to battle all types of varmints, including crooked dance hall proprietor "Con" Norton and his star entertainer, Fay La Cross. The booty is various gold shipments, and the beautiful heroine hails from the East.
Jim Rose is a young ranch hand in love with the boss' daughter, Mabel. The rancher, King Brentwood, who is being sued for breach of promise by a local widow, opposes the match. Learning that the annoying woman is coming to pay him a visit, Brentwood has his men fake a holdup of her stagecoach.
The Double Bit Ranch and the Rolling G Ranch are at odds over a valuable watering hole.
A short comedic Western
Larry Gilmore must marry by a certain date to inherit a fortune. He is besieged by women anxious to assist in getting the money. To escape them, he gets a job as a police officer and dons a uniform. He falls in love with Mollie Martin, a waitress who does not know his identity but agrees to marry him. Before the ceremony several complications occur, and Larry rounds up a band of jewel thieves. A few seconds before the expiration date he marries and gets the fortune.