Second attempt to create a feature film out of the 200,000-plus feet of film which Soviet film-maker Sergei Eisenstein shot during 1931-32 in Mexico for American socialist author Upton Sinclair, his wife and a small company of investors. The projected film, to be called "Que Viva Mexico", was never completed due to exhaustion of funds and Stalin's demand that Eisenstein return to the USSR (he had been absent since 1929). The first attempt at editing the footage, in the USA, resulted in "Thunder Over Mexico", released in 1934. In 1940, Marie Seton, from the UK, acquired some of the footage from the Sinclairs in an attempt to make a better cutting according to Eisenstein's skeletal outline for the proposed film. This film has apparently been lost.
A young lady takes on a convict as her chauffeur, believing him to be a burglar. In reality, however, he is an innocent broker.
A stand-off of pride between two families. One family has a pyromaniac in it, while the other, a member of law enforcement. When a detective and friend are killed by the bad boy of the other family, the double-murder is avenged by the father.
Belle Bennett plays as the widowed mother of seven children living in Sioux City, Iowa. She moves with them to Cambridge, Massachusetts in order to educate her children with culture and give them every advantage. Bennett, who is unversed in financial matters, soon faces poverty for herself and her children. She takes out a loan from an unscrupulous lender (played by Richard Tucker), who is so impressed by the charm and valiant spirit of Bennett than he neglects to ask her for collateral. Bennett, however, is only able to partially pay her creditors. Marion Nixon, Bennett's eldest daughter, is shocked by her mother's actions and attempts to sacrifice herself to Tucker in order to clear her mother's obligations, even though she is engaged to marry a well to do Harvard undergraduate, played by Rex Bell. This film is believed lost.
White men grown brutish from jungle life---a beautiful girl at their mercy---risking all for love!
When two kleptomaniacs (including the brides’ father) and two actual thieves all attend a double wedding their light fingers cause no end of trouble for the mother of the brides to a dizzying degree!
Letty, a minister's daughter, rejects her devoted admirer George for the deceptive Captain Fanshawe. After Fanshawe ruins her reputation by tricking her into an overnight city trip, her father resigns in shame. Following a scarlet fever epidemic, the characters find redemption, and George ultimately marries Letty.
Donald Gray is accused by his partner of dishonesty. The shock of the accusation kills him, and since his innocence cannot be proven, his daughter takes it upon herself to avenge the insult. Meeting Alan Burnham, the couple's only child, he decides to ruin his career.
Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
Peggy Raymond, a country girl, comes to New York with plans for a career in art and is taken by mistake to a Fifth Avenue address where she meets Dick Merwin, the scion of a wealthy family, whom she mistakes for her cousin. Later, in Brooklyn, she finds that her relatives have moved, and Mabel Hines takes her in and gets her a job. By necessity, Peg is forced to demonstrate fat-reducing rollers in a shop window, where she is unfavorably viewed by Mrs. Schuyler and her husband. She is admired by Sam Billings, a wealthy old bachelor, and becomes involved with Maddox, who affects an interest in her paintings. But through a series of reversals and complications, Peg is made to realize that Dick is the worthier man.
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.)
William Bradberry, an absent-minded Egyptologist, turns from a henpecked husband to a dominating one who, unknown to his daughter Betty and wife, writes theatre musical comedy on the side. And saves his daughter from the unsavory millionaire, Victor Smith she almost marries before she marries the decent man Tommy Dawson. A lost film.
Bertha Sloan loses her job as a sewing-machine girl and subsequently is employed as telephone girl with a lingerie manufacturing company. She soon falls in love with the assistant shipping clerk, Roy Davis, and is promoted to chief model for the firm, owing to the patronage of Morton, the wealthy and wicked manager. Bertha is about to take a position in Paris as designer when Morton lures her to his home.
Gilbert enters his house through an open door and discovers a young female thief stealing his jewels. He lets her go, but they are both caught by two accomplices: one posing as the homeowner and the other as a policeman. The impostors manacle Gilbert and the girl together and have them "marched away." The fake policeman then returns, announcing he "gave them the slip," and he and his partner prepare to flee. At this point, the real police arrive, led by Gilbert and the girl, and the two wily crooks are arrested. The story concludes on a romantic note, with the open door proving to be their "gateway to happiness" as love awakens between Gilbert and the lass.
A rich girl's fiancé poses as a chauffeur to stop her eloping with a major.
Larry Fiske works at a curiosity shop. The shop's owner, Martin Giles, is forcing his daughter Marion to marry a wealthy collector named Travers, while Marion is in love with Larry. Larry must contend with the rich rival and the father's plans for his daughter, who holds the shop's valuable dagger.
Melia Nobbs, a young Canadian woman, supports both her invalid father Ambrose and brother Henry. When Henry faces arrest for helping himself to his employer's cash, Melia steals the amount from the star of the theater where she has been dancing and offers it to her brother if he will enlist in the army. Henry agrees and goes off to war, making Ambrose proud of his son, but when Ambrose learns that his daughter has been arrested for theft, he disowns her. Melia does not reveal the reason for taking the money and is sent to prison. Meanwhile, Henry fights bravely in France and returns home minus an arm but wearing the Victoria Cross. He finds his sister, weak and worn from overwork, in the prison hospital. Seeing her brother with his medals, Melia realizes that her sacrifices for him and her country have not been in vain, and that in her own way, she has served her country.
Wealthy, bored socialite named Mary Lang disguises herself and runs away to seek adventure, but is recognized by reporter Hugh Grey, who tricks her into falling in love with him. On the eve of their planned wedding, she discovers he is a fortune hunter who stole her photograph and manipulated her for the reward money. After she denounces him, Grey locks her in her room, collects the reward from her father, and is thrashed by John Barrick, Mary's father's business partner, for his treachery. Her eyes are opened to Barrick's sincerity, and she ultimately marries him.
Irma is waiting for her escort to take her to a party when she falls asleep and has the most terrible dream. She dreams that she is a poor little girl in the country and has to do all the chores. She gets into all kinds of trouble helping the other children and finally falls in the brook. But just as she is bewailing her fate her mother wakes her and says that Bennie has come to take her to the party. The dream is over and Irma is glad that it was only a dream.