Mike Kildare, a swaggering youth from New York City's Bowery at the turn of the century, comes to the defense of Mamie Rose, a mender in a secondhand clothing shop, when his own gang of Irish-Americans insult her.
While visiting Alan, who works in Tokyo, she attends a festival with her Japanese maid while wearing a Japanese kimono. There she meets the wealthy Arai Takada, who is taken by the mysterious woman. Alan has dishonored and betrayed O'Mitsu, and her brother Arai plans a terrible revenge.
Colomba
In New York's Washington Square, a poet named Karl (Jack Livingston) is the king of art and artifice. But World War I breaks out and the spotlight on him begins to fade, so he dramatically declares his intention to enlist in the British Army. His friend Marcarson announces that he will go with him, keeping Karl to a promise which he hadn't planned to see through.
As an entomologist and all-around wimp, Orlando Winthrop gets little respect from his wealthy parents. But when business needs to be taken care at the Winthrop sheep ranches out West, Orlando is raring to go. Upon his arrival, the ranchers see Orlando as an easy mark, but it turns out they're wrong. They try to take Orlando's money in a poker game -- and wind up broke themselves.
The one was a venturer - the other an adventurer - the one a man who wanted to see adventure, but who had never been beyond the city limits - the other a man who had seen adventure in all parts of the world, and who assured the venturer that things were just as monotonous every place in the world as in the city. So they met, each seeking for the unconventional, on a New York street, and dined together as men out of luck, with two cents between them - and still nothing happened. They both had credit at the hotel. Then into their lives came the feminine influence - a sweet girl who lived in a house which was irrevocably a household. The adventurer hesitated - he had yet to satisfy his longing for the incalculable. Suddenly love changed the venturer into an adventurer, and settled the adventurer into a venturer.
Mabel Vandergrift moves from the country to the city and enrolls in an upscale college. She starts to hang around with a "fast" crowd, and one night at a party a young man picks her for his "conquest". She fends him off, but when he is later found dead she is charged with his murder. Her boyfriend from back home hears about her troubles and comes to the city to clear her name and find the real killer.
Jennie is a slavey in a theatrical boarding house. To her the actors are all wonderful, but Montague Booth is the chief. In an accident Booth is disfigured for life and is saved from suicide by Jennie. They join a medicine show in which Booth is lecturer, but Jennie cannot stand the road. Booth leaves the show and takes up a homestead claim. The manager of the show sends one of Booth's old loves to get him back, for his services are valuable, but Belle fails after very nearly wrecking everyone's happiness.
Jeff Fulton jealous and bitter because his partner John Acton’s daughter Mary loves their neighboring claim holder, Dick Carew schemes to eliminate both men by fabricating a land dispute between them. Not satisfied with the result Fulton forges a challenge and sets up a duel in Buzzard Gulch for the men. Fulton ambushes Acton, wounding him. Carew arrives later, and after a staged exchange of gunfire with Fulton, is led to believe he has killed Acton. Fulton alerts the sheriff, leading to Carew's arrest based on circumstantial evidence. Mary uncovers the forged challenge, revealing Fulton's plot. Fulton is tricked into confessing his guilt, arrested, and sent to prison. Carew is freed, reuniting with Mary.
Grace and her brother Edwin are living in a modest city apartment when they receive an invitation from their wealthy uncle to live on his Southern California ranch. While Grace is eager for the new life, Edwin refuses to leave the city, prompting Grace to travel to the ranch alone. On the ranch, Grace falls in love with the foreman, Jack Winston. Their romance causes conflict with Jack’s former lover, Inez—a Spanish dancer who attempts to stab Jack in a fit of jealousy after he breaks off their relationship to be with Grace. Years later, Grace and Jack are married, but Edwin has fallen into poverty back east. He eventually decides to join his sister in the west. Upon arriving, Edwin visits a local saloon and becomes innocently embroiled in a quarrel with a drunken cowboy, leading to a fight.
Jimmy Martin, king of the motorcycle speedsters, visits the Kingdom of Mandavia for a race. There he is persuaded to impersonate the king by a traitor, Rodolph D'Henri, who intends to annex part of Mandavia for neighboring Selmarnia. The real king is in jail. D'Henri's plot is successful until Martin falls in love with Princess Margaret of Alvernia. Then he discloses his true identity, releases the real king, exposes the traitor, earns knighthood, and marries Margaret.
Not realizing he is a bandit The Girl, owner of the Polka Saloon, falls in love with Ramerrez. Trapped by a snowstorm Ramerrez is forced to stay the night with The Girl. Upon discovering the situation jealousy drives dancer Nina Micheltorena to reveal his identity and whereabouts to Sheriff Jack Rance, who also loves The Girl. Ramerrez is shot trying to escape, and though she denies his presence she shelters him. Drops of blood prove lead to his discovery. Taking a chance The Girl wins both their freedom in a poker game with the sheriff. However incited by Nina, vigilantes are about to lynch Ramerrez when the sheriff interferes, explains his bargain, and restores him to The Girl.
As a boy, Raoul is reared by an Arab tribe in Algerian Sahara. Years later, as a refined Europeanized gentleman, he falls in love with Barbara, an officer's daughter, who rejects him when she discovers his background. Affecting a raid, he captures her and then secretly buys her at a slave auction. When she is rescued by French troops, however, his ancestry is established and they find happiness together.
A shopkeeper's daughter marries a cad who ruins the business.
A lady gambler shields her brother by claiming responsibility for a forgery he committed.
In Rhodesia, a woman leaves her cruel husband when their baby dies.
Villainous convict Ralph Vickers plots against a Mill owner Mr. Lucas. Vickers works to undermine Lucas while pursuing his daughter, Geraldine. Vickers' schemes are eventually thwarted by the mill’s office boy, who manages to baffle the villain's designs.
Miss Blossom passes through middle age caring for her widowed brother and his only child, a daughter. A handsome explorer returns from an expedition and meets the family, whereupon he falls in love with the daughter. He departs for another long expedition, leaving behind a message regarding his intent to marry the daughter upon his return. But the message is misdirected to the elder Miss Blossom, who secretly loves the explorer and now awaits his return from far-off lands in joyous expectation of their marriage.
To save her father from bankruptcy, Nan Everard marries wealthy Peter Craddock and under protest goes with him to South America. En route she is injured in an automobile wreck, but Peter continues the trip. He returns to find her renewing an old friendship, and though she hopes to obtain a divorce she finally surrenders to his stronger will.
Secret Serviceman Allen takes a job at Bart Stevens' mine in order to find evidence proving that Stevens is a mail robber named Smoke Gublen. He does - but by then, he is in love with the man's sister - and to make things harder, Stevens saves his life...