Famous romance writer Hartly Poole retreats to the country for inspiration. There he meets ardent admirer Justina Chaffin, who is about to marry a fortune-hunting scoundrel. After Justina and Hartly fall in love, she discovers her fiancé's deception and flees to Hartly's cottage. Seeing her car parked in front, the sheriff accuses Hartly of abduction, but all is resolved when Justina and Hartly exchange vows.
Dolly’s father disapproves of her boyfriend Ben, thinking he is only interested in athletics and not being able to provide for his daughter. Ben heads to the seashore to find work. Dolly convinces her father he isn’t feeling well and needs to get away to the beach. Once there she’s reunited with Ben much to her father’s chagrin but when he thinks Dolly is drowning and Ben saves her, he softens towards the lad.
Victoria, a young woman wants to study law faces pressure from her social-climbing father to marry rich, leading her to accept wealthy Bruce Schuyler, only for him to get caught in a bear trap, setting up a comedic battle of wills as she tries to maintain her independence within their engagement.
Skelley buys a seat in the orchestra and determines to get his money's worth. No use. Mrs. Van Snoozeheim refused to remove her big hat. But it came off. Skelley did it. That started something with Mrs. Van Snoozeheim's escort. Over the stage they fought, and into the Rathbone Café, and into Higgin's saloon. He took them over to his arena. There were two rounds to the finish.
Richard loves Helen, but her snobby mother looks down on him because his father made his money as a soap manufacturer. She arranges a trip abroad for Helen, but Helen arranges to meet Richard and have him drive her to the station. Richard’s aunt gives him his mother's wedding ring as a talisman and en route to the train a traffic backup occurs resulting in Helen missing the train and Richard winning her hand. Auntie claims that the ring is responsible; father only smiles knowing he paid one of his men to bribe streetcar motormen, truckmen, and taxicab drivers to bring about the traffic tie-up.
Bartender Billy Holliday loses his job for refusing to supply drinks to minors at the behest of his employer. In the little country town he wanders into looking for work he finds two elements, the wets and the drys. When he meets the daughter of the leader of the drys, he casts in his lot with them, and when the leader of the wet faction threatens vengeance, Billy is instantly on the job. At a meeting of prohibitionists, which the brewery element seeks to disrupt by the introduction of a number of roughnecks, Holliday takes the platform and nullifies their efforts with a fiery speech. He finally succeeds in putting the wet element out of business--and in winning the love of Edith Jason.
A son, down and out on liquor, finds redemption.
Yano is a small delivery boy for his uncle, who keeps a curio shop in Chinatown. His loves are Tama, his sweetheart, and Bengi, his dog. Bengi is seized by dog catchers, but is rescued by Letty Stanford, for which Yano promises his fealty. Later Letty is kidnapped by Germans because of her war activities, and it is Yano who goes to her rescue and gets her free in spite of his diminutive size. The Little Japanese has paid his debt.
Helene Palmer and her husband Orrin have grown apart, and she becomes infatuated with bachelor Edward Wadsworth. With the outbreak of World War I, Orrin and Edward enlist, while Helene works as a Red Cross nurse in a small French town. Edward is wounded on a dangerous scouting mission near the town and Orrin carries him to safety. The enemy invades during the night, and Orrin rescues Helene as she is about to be overpowered by a German officer. The dying Edward, morally strengthened by his experience as a soldier, encourages the couple to reunite. Soon after, peace is declared.
The Misleading Widow is a 1919 silent film comedy starring Billie Burke as Betty Taradine. It was based on the 1917 stage play Billeted by F. Tennyson Jesse and H.M. Harwood. The film was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It appears to be a lost film.
Sure-Fire Flint, an energetic chap just returned from wartime military service, meets June De Lanni, the girl of his dreams, while working as a cabdriver and busboy. Her father gives Flint a job in his factory, but Dipley Poole, who hoped to marry June, becomes jealous of Flint's success and attempts to rob the company safe. June is trapped in the safe, but after a series of adventures, Flint arrives in time to rescue her.
To be a fond and devoted parent, and to be unable to play with the heaven of your heart is indeed a cruel decree. That was the case of Papa Binks, but he outwitted Mrs. Binks and the nurse in a very effective, yet unostentatious manner, while he and the baby had the time of their lives.
In spite of their oversupply of energy, their Pa-to-be just doted on the kids. The fascinating traveling salesman, who won away their fickle Ma, did not, but through the widow's deception, the kids won the parent of their hearts.
James Montgomery Flagg first draws his sketch of the girl, and then tearing it from its frame reveals the real girl lounging in bed with the pouting expression which is her wont. Then we are treated to an exposé of her various moods and selfish acts. For instance, she allows mother to bring breakfast to her in bed, and doesn't even greet her with a smile nor trouble to thank her. And it is nothing for father and mother to sit up until daylight to open the door for her as she returns from a dance. Finally she demands an automobile so that she will not have to bother with taxis, and in order to grant her wish, some of the household furniture has to be sold. In a tantrum she takes her car and goes to her lover, and the closing scene shows her in a home of her own, making life miserable for a husband.
Mr. Hadley shows Bill a photograph of his fiancée, Alice Mordaunt, and instructs Bill to admit her immediately should she arrive at the office. Bill leaves for lunch. Upon his return, he discovers his boss kissing Ethel, who is Mr. Hadley's sister, not his fiancée. Bill, unaware of their family relationship, is horrified, believing his boss is being unfaithful to Alice Mordaunt. Feeling a strong sense of loyalty to the absent fiancée, Bill decides to get even with his boss. He informs Mr. Hadley's real fiancée, Alice, about his boss's perceived "duplicity". The outcome is a comical situation as Bill's interference leads to misunderstandings and fallout, which is how Bill "squares it" with his boss.
Hoping to elope, farmer's daughter Myrtle Fairley and her beau Jack Holt are forced to return home after finding the minister not at home. Upon arrival they discover a pair of incompetent safe crackers trying to force Mr. Fairley to give up his money, leading to a tense resolution.
A group of stenographers decide to host a ball and invite their boss, Mr. Hadley, as the guest of honor. The plot revolves around a mix-up involving masquerade costumes.
To pick up material for his latest play, Kendall poses as a waiter at a fancy restaurant. In a twinkling, he gets mixed up with a gang of sinister foreign agents, who hope to get their hands on a noiseless explosive device
Pampered Frederic "Freddy" Pritchard, warned by his father that he must work or be disinherited, learns how to crack safes to help his girlfriend Gloria Nevins, whose villainous uncle holds security for the family jewels, as well as the right to vote on the disposition of the Nevins Motor Works. After Freddy steals the papers with the aid of his valet Smithson, Gloria's uncle locks him in a warehouse to prevent him from attending a crucial stockholders' meeting. Freddy escapes and saves the factory for Mrs. Nevins, who gives him power of proxy. Pritchard, Sr., pleased with his son, consents to Freddy's marriage to Gloria.
Heading to America after finding themselves destitute following their father's death, Charles de la Fontaine, the Marquis d'Aubeterre and his sister Helen secures a position in the home of Lathrop, a millionaire thanks to the Countess d'Este. He instantly falls in love with Lathrop's pretty daughter Marian, but she fears he is a fortune hunter and becomes engaged to the wealthy Rudolph Miller. Charles tells her he would only marry her when the two are equally wealthy. Charles then secretly backs Marian's brother Frank in a successful financial venture, making both rich. Discovering Rudolph is unfaithful and with the "golden wall" of wealth that had separated them now obliterated, Marian and Charles wed.