In Shanghai, an American girl who helps run an opium ring meets an American agent disguised as a mining engineer. The two fall in love, and she has to determine where her loyalties lie.

Though betrothed to fellow socialite Richard, Iris weds her chauffeur Tom leaving Richard to marry the family laundress' daughter Shamrock. Class differences lead to divorces and remarriages.

Russian Jews Nathan & Esther Levinsky, along with son, David, escape to the U.S. Nathan’s life as a peddler is hard, and Esther leaves him for Max Levy allowing David to be adopted by the wealthy Danvers family. In time Nathan prospers on a small California ranch, which abuts the larger ranch of the bigoted John Comstock. When Comstock’s daughter Helen, falls in love with the Danvers' adopted son, Jimmy, who Nathan secretly recognizes as David. Fire destroys his farm and Nathan goes to San Francisco to begin again with the contrite Esther. Jimmy follows after learning the truth to search for Nathan with Helen and Comstock in pursuit. Nathan saves Helen from the lecherous Max Levy and Comstock gives his blessing to Helen and Jimmy’s marriage.

After his mining partner Joe Pelton's death, wealthy bachelor Richard Chester adopts Joe's five young children and takes them East by train. The children are hellions upsetting the calm of the Pullman car en route to New York City, and his home upon arrival. Richard enrolls them all in school except for the youngest. His frosty society fiancée Ethel McVae refuses to have anything to do with the children. After seeing how Richard interacts with his stenographer Sally Lockwood when she helps him nurse the youngest child through a night's illness Ethel breaks the engagement. Richard declares his love for Sally, and they join to raise a family.

Janet Loring is a young widow with a young son. She marries millionaire Malcolm Trask, but doesn't tell him about her previous marriage or her son, Ranny. Abandoned to the streets by Janet, Ranny eventually moves in with a bookseller and her granddaughter Margy. As the years go by Janet comes to regret abandoning her son and takes out ads looking for him. Marcio, a vicious blackmailer, sends Ranny to Janet posing as her son, not knowing that the young boy actually is her son. Complications ensue.

Discovering that her husband is a bigamist, Nan returns with her child to her Puget Sound logging town. She is treated as an outcast by all save Donald, her childhood sweetheart, the son of a millionaire....

Stephen Lee doesn't want his nephew Wally Sanders to marry chorus girl Violet Dayne, because he believes all chorus girls to be ruthless gold diggers, always chasing after the men's money. Violet's friend Jerry La Mar decides to 'gold dig' Stephen, to show him what a nice and unselfish girl Violet is, but then she realizes that she's really in love with Stephen Lee....

"I hope people see me as an artist, not a blind artist." Tou suffered a severe eye injury in an accident at a young age. The journey into complete blindness was a torment to him. Yet, he doesn't want his struggle and vulnerability to be seen. It is not until he meets Iris that light seems to come into his sight again.

Ben Applegate's father dies, leaving him and his brothers Joe and Andy orphans and having to run the family farm. Their Uncle Grimes is their legal guardian, but he's only concerned with getting his hands on the farm. He has Ben declared incompetent and packs off Joe and Andy to an orphanage. When things look darkest for the three boys, help comes from an unexpected source.

Paul Granville becomes a famous painter for his portraits of great women as modeled by the beautiful Joline Hofer. When one of Paul's paintings appears to result in a miracle, Joline's life is changed forever. She leaves her previous life to live one of service and piety, a decision that ultimately saves Paul's life.

War buddies Whitey and Skeeter have become safecrackers. On a job, Skeeter is surprised by the police and killed. Later Whitey discovers that the lowlife Mal is the police informer responsible for Skeeter's death. Whitey sets out to find his moll Kitty, hearing she has gone to the country to find peace and quiet he finds her in a small town. She is involved with bank clerk Fred Morton, so Whitey pretends he has found someone else too. When Mal arrives in town as the advance man for a con and he pursues Skeeter’s sister Evelyn, Kitty tells the story of her own criminal past to save her. Fred drops her, and Kitty tries to drown herself in the river. Whitey saves her life and exposes Fred as an embezzler.

A hopelessly hopeful drifter, a bitter young woman, and a helpless child live on the docks, spending their days in poverty and listless wandering. Overhead, a dredge hauls up mud and trash from the nearby seabed-- the same mud and trash from the day before. They finally decide to leave for the city to seek fulfillment, only to encounter further privation, destitution, temptation.

With her marriage on the verge of breaking up, a young wife attempts to win back the love of her husband and child.

Silent film comedy drama...

Arthur Randall becomes prosperous after divorcing his wife, Laura, and she now attempts unsuccessfully to win him back. Randall's son becomes ill, and he engages Joan Laird and her mother to care for the boy. Society misunderstands, and Joan is branded as a parasite. Laura kidnaps the boy, Bertie, and Joan gives chase. Laura's car goes over a cliff, and she is killed. Bertie survives the crash, however, and he and Joan attempt to find their way to a refuge. They become lost in the hills, and Joan manages to keep Bertie from dying until rescue comes.