Broadway star Mona Mainard retires from the stage for marriage to rising attorney John Norton and watches his career climb. Over time she becomes concerned with his at times unscrupulous ways of getting convictions. When her brother is accused of murder Norton refuses to give up the case despite being aware of his innocence because a victory could land him the governorship. Mona takes extreme steps to bring him to his senses and exonerate her brother.

When he wasn't churning out "Curses, foiled again!" melodramas, playwright Owen Davis Sr. specialized in such social dramas as The Sentimental Lady. Irene Fenwick stars as Amy Cary, who has invested her life savings in a utility stock. Amy's fiance Norman Van Aulsten (John Davidson) is saddled with a crooked father (Thomas McGrath), whose Wall Street shenanigans threaten to wipe out Amy and the rest of the stockholders. Fortunately, crusading attorney Bob Nelson (Jack Devereaux) manages to prevent this financial catastrophe.

On the lam from the New York Police because of a false murder charge, playboy Brooke Travers escapes to a Central American banana republic.

James Wadsworth sets his sights on the lovely society girl Anna Dalton and determines to marry her. To achieve that goal, he follows her everywhere she goes, including on a ship to South America. He comes up with a plan to make her love him--he throws her overboard, follows her over the side and swims with her to a deserted island. His somewhat unorthodox method works and he wins over Anna, but problems arise when Richard Towne, Anna's fiancé who has been searching for her, finds the island and discovers the two.

Lem Ransom, the village drunkard, steals the Widow Huggins' bonds while under the influence of liquor, at the instigation of Hannibal Chapman, an unscrupulous lawyer. After taking the stolen bonds from his catspaw, Chapman treacherously arranges to have suspicion fall upon Lem.

David Holmes, a misogynist and recluse, becomes the guardian of ten-year-old Sylvia after her father's death. He initially sends her to live in the country, but she returns as a young woman, and David is captivated by her beauty. He finds himself falling in love with her as he accompanies her to social events, and they are united by their mutual love.