While Jane and Jim Parker witness the divorce proceedings of Jane's parents, the George Reeds, they resolve that such a disaster will never occur in their happy lives. But when Jim achieves success in Reed's company, he becomes increasingly interested in his new fast friends, especially vamp Gloria Gayne; and he asks Jane for a divorce.

This portrayal of small town life before the War is based on a small boys determination to get to see the circus, over all obstacles. Escaped lions, lightheaded blackmail of his father, and playfully planting stolen papers on his sisters boyfriend are all in a days work for little Henry Peck.

Katherine Emerson, an Iowa girl hungry for the good things in life, leaves her small hometown and sets out for New York. En route, she is involved in a train wreck in which another woman is killed. Katherine finds the woman's purse and, among its contents, discovers an invitation for the woman to spend 6 months in an unoccupied luxury apartment in Manhattan. Katherine seizes this opportunity and sets up housekeeping in the elegant suite, living well and dressing in the newest fashions.

An orphan is adopted by a kindly old racehorse owner. He decides to pay back his benefactor by training to ride the horse so he can win an important race.

Wealthy playboy Grant Van Gore means to have his way with his beautiful maid, the innocent Hattie Lou. He swears his love to the naive girl, and in an act so heinous as to defy belief, has the captain of his yacht perform a fake marriage ceremony. He ruins poor Hattie Lou, and then abandons her ashore the very next morning. A year later, the destitute girl and her starving baby are wandering the streets. When she sees a newspaper headline announcing that Grant has drowned at sea, Hattie Lou hatches a desperate plan for survival. She will present herself to the wealthy Van Gore's, who cannot fail to provide for their late son's widow and child!

Rodney Marvin hears a vague account of a dispute between Mayor Gorham and Matt Hayward from Hayward's daughter, Virginia. She is employed by her father on his paper the Gazette, a sworn enemy to the Mayor. Rodney outwits the Mayor and buys from him a note that would have endangered the fortune of the Gazette. Rodney realizes that the only remedy for the situation is to get the two men to shake hands and be friends.

Mary Ainslie has been waiting 30 years for her fiancé, a sea captain, to return. She has kept a light burning in her window to guide him home. His son Carl, by another woman, arrives on vacation in the New England village where Mary lives. Mary is overcome by the resemblance between the young man and his father. The young man falls in love with Ruth, Mary's young comrade. On her deathbed, Mary wishes Carl and Ruth the romantic life that she did not live.

Arthur Moore, a missionary preacher, attempts to fit into the cowboy community so he can set up a church in the local saloon. Gwen, daughter of the "Old Timer," is injured in a stampede and loses her ability to walk. Though rejected by the townsfolk, the preacher's wisdom and love are needed if the young girl is to be healed. Shot in 'Vidor Village', Vidor's ill-fated studio property in California's High Sierra.

Paul and Rhoda Remsen, having marital difficulties, separate; and each is awarded custody of their child Peggy for 6 months of the year. Rhoda and Peggy move to a farm town, while Paul remains in the big city to write a play for actress Inez Lamont, who is in love with him. Peggy knows that her mother still loves Paul, so she flees to the big city to explain the situation to her father.

Monte Brewster learns that he has inherited $10 million from his late grandfather, but then learns that he must spend $2 million in less than a year and remain unmarried to inherit the rest of the money.

Discovering that he has only a brief time to live Louisiana plantation owner Andres Miro makes arrangements to marry his young ward, Jacqueline Lanier, so when he dies, she will inherit his fortune. One of Jacqueline’s rejected suitors, Jack Calhoun kills Miro in a fit of anger, then shoots himself. A sleazy local reporter, looking to make a name for himself, drafts a story about the incident painting Jacqueline as responsible for the deaths of both men due to her infidelity. Big trouble and heartbreak follows.

A dying mother left his child with an old man, but the village people want to take the child away from him because he is too old.

Ned Bannister, manager of a sheep ranch, is accused of the murder of David Messiter, a neighboring cattle rancher. Bannister's employer, Halloway, would like to own the cattle rancher's spread. When Helen Messiter, niece of the deceased, arrives to investigate the murder, Halloway, the real culprit, tries to seduce her.

Bob Wharton marries Lorelei Knight, a beauty contest winner. While on their honeymoon, Bob is laughingly abducted by the flirtatious Bernice Lane, who keeps Bob out way past his bedtime.

A remake of a 1917 Dustin Farnum Western, Durand of the Bad Lands is the story a rancher falsely accused of a crime actually committed by Sheriff Clem Allison and his henchman Pete Garson.