Mother Knows Best

A prosperous small-town peddler accedes to his family's wish to move from their secure existence to the uncertainty of New York City. It proves fruitless and eventually his kin sees the error of their ways and return to their true home.

"Al" Spencer, a gambler who is not averse to cheating, who occupies an apartment with his wife and daughter, abandons his family after attacking and robbing a card player a confederate had brought to his place. In the same building lives Nancy Springer, a shoplifter whose thieving husband is in prison awaiting trial.

Socialite Ethel Wyndham turns down Jim Carew’s marriage proposal because of his working-class status causing him to go prospecting in the Yukon. He strikes it rich and begins a romance with Little Snowbird. Deciding to take one last look at life in the big city before settling down he heads to New York where he runs into Ethel. After telling her of his success he proposes again and while she’s tempted Ethel is tempted to accept him, she has involved her in an extortion operation unknowingly and Thomas Martin threatens to expose her if she marries Jim. Once again broken-hearted, Jim returns to Little Snowbird only to face heartache and a daughter he knew nothing about.

Broadway actor Lyle plays the adventures of a night in the West. One evening he enters a small theater where a 10-20-30 repertory company is playing. He is struck by the beauty and talent of Ruth Darrell, a young member of the company, and sees in her the type to request a new play in which he will appear the following season.

Jean Servian's eyesight is failing and is desperate for money, marries wealthy widower Geoffrey Vane after telling him that he must be satisfied with her gratitude rather than her love. Then, following an affair with artist Philip Derblay, who finally leaves her, Jean settles down to a quiet, boring life with Geoffrey, who knows nothing about her failed romance. Years later, however, after Lucille, Geoffrey's daughter by his first wife, becomes engaged to Philip, Jean feels compelled to tell the story of her own affair with him. The disclosure has little effect as Lucille makes no change in her wedding plans, but then, when she breaks in on a violent argument between Philip and Lucille, Jean accidentally shoots and kills her former lover. A trial results in her acquittal, however, after which Jean realizes that she really does love Geoffrey, who easily forgives his wife for her past indiscretion.

Having forced Jim Carson to leave town in order to avoid a trumped-up embezzling charge, now Albert Temple is rid of his only serious rival for Helen, whom he soon marries. Jim goes to Alaska, where he adopts Bob Adams, the son of a murdered friend, and then makes a fortune in a gold strike. After eighteen years in the Yukon, Jim returns to his hometown with Bob, who falls in love with Helen and Albert's daughter Dorothy. Because he so hates Albert, however, Jim refuses to consent to a marriage between Bob and Dorothy until Helen tells him that Albert is not the young woman's father. In reality, Dorothy is Jim's own daughter, and when he learns this, Jim quickly changes his mind about the marriage.

The story of two feuding Irish immigrant families living in a tenement.

Fannie joins Johnny to perform a music-hall act which becomes a success, until two Broadway producers catch the act and offer Fannie a job on their latest show; however, they have no place for Johnny, so Fannie turns down the offer. (Film considered lost.)

Blind Eleanor is cared for by her father's friend and eventual lover, Burton Lester, who arranges a sight-restoring operation. Upon recovering her sight, Eleanor discovers Burton is married, leading her to seek independence by completing her father's art and becoming a renowned artist in New York. After a misunderstanding involving a lost necklace and Burton's kindness to a friend, Eleanor reconciles with Burton and they become engaged.

Until her rescue by a Salvation lass Margaret Reeves is trapped in white slavery. Upon her escape she is sent to a ranch where she falls in love and marries a cowboy, keeping her past secret. The man who once owned her appears and her husband learns the truth. He sends her from the house, but a young Indian mother engineers their reconciliation.

A rich girl's fiancé poses as a chauffeur to stop her eloping with a major.

Young millionaire Turner Brooks is engaged to marry the poor but sweet Dora Carton however the maliciously rapacious Emma DeWolf wants to snag him for his money. Both before and after their marriage Emma tries every means to poison his mind against Dora but ultimately fails.

An American munitions manufacturer and his son become ensnarled with enemy agents from Germany during the First World War.

Sir Joseph and Lady Webbing are the foster parents of Marie-Louise. The couple are also in league with Verrinder, a German spy. When their work against England is discovered, they commit suicide. Marie-Louise, who has been an unwitting part of their schemes, is allowed to go to the U.S. if she promises to keep everything a secret.

Loyal slave of the aristocratic Dabney family, Dan is overjoyed when Raoul becomes engaged to Northerner Elsie Hammond and his sister Grace becomes engaged to Elsie's brother John. When the Civil War breaks out, the heartbroken Hammonds return North and John joins the Union army. Raoul joins the Confederacy, but his vindictive overseer, Jonas Watts, becomes a Union officer. Watts takes Grace prisoner, but before he can act on his desires, John rescues her.

When Roberta Carruthers' father, Capt. Carruthers, is killed in France during the war, she comes to live in the US with her uncle. When she finds out that her uncle is under the impression that his brother had a son and not a daughter, she decides to disguise herself as a male, and calls herself Bob.

A man is so impressed with the philosophy of survival of the fittest and the rights of the strong against the weak that he tries to put these principles into practice in his own home.

A considered lost film from 1913

Penniless aristocrat Yvonne Dupré ekes out a living selling her paintings to a crooked dealer, Leon Naisson, who passes them off as other more famous artists. Leon confides to his unscrupulous model Romildo, that he is attracted to Yvonne. Romildo drugs his lover, fiery Apache dancer Juliette who closely resembles Yvonne, then tries to extort money from Leon to have his way with her. Leon discovers the duplicity but convinces the artist's sweetheart, Dick Gray, that she has been unfaithful. As police close in on Leon, he frames Yvonne by planting forged paintings in her studio. Following Yvonne's arrest, Juliette is informed by her foster sister that she was stolen by gypsies as a child and is actually Yvonne's twin sister. Juliette exposes Leon's operation to the police, reuniting Yvonne and Dick.

Giulia, a Neapolitan girl, much against her will, becomes the mistress of a wealthy gangster. Her "protector" is stabbed to death by Giulia's hot-headed musician lover Tony (Francis McDonald), whereupon the heroine takes refuge in the villa of French playwright La Farge. Under La Farge's careful tutelage, Giulia develops into a famous actress, capturing the heart of the Duke De Chaumont. Though LaFarge himself has fallen in love with the girl, he does not stand in her way when she accepts the Duke's proposal. But Giulia has not reckoned with Tony, who is still crazy about her and still willing to kill any man who stands in his way. Tony murders LaFarge, then sets his sights on the Duke, intending to kill the poor fellow during the wedding ceremony. Hoping to save the Duke's life, Giulia pretends to have fallen out of love with him and returns to Tony.