No one suffered more magnificently in the early-talkie era than the inimitable Helen Twelvetrees. In Grand Parade, the actress is cast as Molly, the sweetheart of minstrel-show performer Jack Kelly. Rising to the top of his profession, Kelly plummets to the bottom thanks to his fondness for intoxicating beverages. Molly nurses and coddles Kelly back to health, giving nary a thought for her own comfort or happiness.
Polly
William Rock, assistant cashier in a business concern, has a sick daughter. The doctor urges that she be taken immediately to another climate, and Rock, unable to get an advance on his pay, is desperate. He has been in the habit of taking the deposits to the bank every Saturday, and then going direct from the bank home. He determines that week to steal the money. On Saturday Rock is followed on the street by a couple of crooks. He goes into a telephone booth to phone his daughter May and her fiancé, a young physician, that they can start south with the younger sister at once. Taking the money out of the bank satchel, he stuffs it in his inside vest pocket and leaves with the empty bag in his hand. He goes down an alleyway to get rid of the satchel, but is assaulted by the gunmen and the bag taken from him.
"The Prince of Broadway" George Burke, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, trains by drinking and dancing all night. After he is knocked out, his manager tears up his contract and tells him he is through. His sweetheart, actress Nancy Lee rescues him from the gutter and asks her admirer, Wade Turner to take him to his ranch to get back in shape. Wade, jealous of George, tells his foreman, Buck Marshall, to hinder George's comeback. Wade’s neighbor, former champ Jim Jeffries offers to help George get back into condition. Trying for the advantage Wade tells Nancy that George is not training, but when she goes out to the ranch, she uncovers the conspiracy. George regains the championship and wins Nancy's hand.
Stranded on a desert isle, Donald and Cecilie become man and wife in the eyes of God. Donald is attacked by a mad Portuguese and is knocked unconscious; Cecilie mistakes him for dead and leaves him behind on the island when a rescue party arrives. She returns to the United States and goes to see Donald's wealthy family. They not only refuse to recognize her as Donald's wife but also refuse to recognize her baby as Donald's child. Donald's brother offers to take her as his mistress, however; when she refuses, he attempts to bribe her into giving up all claims on the Van Buren name. John Wendell, the family lawyer, takes pity on Cecilie and offers her the protection of his name in marriage; she accepts, with the provision that it be in name only but trouble is on the horizon.
Sisters Phyllis and Alithea are kept in the countryside until they reach the age of eighteen when their guardian, the Squire, takes them to London. Planning to marry them off to rich older men for mercenary reason he is thwarted when the girls both fall in love with more suitable men. When the Squire works to split the couples, the girls resort to subterfuge to gain their happiness.
When telegraph operator Dan Boynton is dismissed shortly after his marriage, he and his new bride Alice decide they will take their honeymoon at the road's expense, and in one of its own cars. The train crew, learning of romance, decide to wink at the violation of rules. Dan contrives to make the situation permanent sending a message purportedly from the general manager, ordering the station agent to hold the car on the siding until further orders. When his former boss Bushkirk discovers the situation the couple’s "nerve" makes a great hit with him and he appoints Dan Boynton his chief assistant.
A colonel saves a prince's life when he joins a club of men who draw lots to kill one another.
Young Virgie's father, Captain Herbert Cary, is a Confederate soldier. During the Civil War, Virgie, along with her slave Uncle Billy and her mother, are caught between the lines. While Virgie's father is fighting, her family is visited by Union soldiers, including Colonel Morrison, who is assigned to capture her father. Virgie inadvertently helps Morrison, by singing "Dixie" to him and then hiding her father. In the end, Virgie and her father are able to escape, and Virgie even sings "Polly Wolly Doodle" with the Union soldiers and hugs her father, now a Union officer,
A young widow and her baby find refuge with a miserly backslider after being evicted. While the miser is away, criminals invade, mistreating the mother. The miser returns, pleading for their safety, and upon their rescue, his adoption of the baby reveals his true Christian nature, despite his church absence.
Lord Trevor and his ward, Nan Tremain are prominent figures in London society, as well as clandestine agents of the government. With the help of wealthy East Indian, Abdul, who posed as Trevor’s body servant, Nan dressed as a foreign noblewoman, recovers the plans of certain coast fortifications which had fallen into the hands of double agent, Col. Pfaff and would have been of irredeemable loss to her country had they reached another country.
On a whim and to save the good name of her sister, Dolly Erskine, a light-hearted young woman, declares that a riding master is her husband, not realizing that they have crossed the border into Scotland and that the confession of marriage is binding. However, she has unwittingly become the wife of an earl, falling in love with him in time to prevent a divorce decree. While Dolly is falling in love, the earl continues to pose as a riding master, and as such wins the heart of his pretty bride. Based on the play "Gretna Green," by Grace Livingston Purniss.
"Al" Spencer, a gambler who is not averse to cheating, who occupies an apartment with his wife and daughter, abandons his family after attacking and robbing a card player a confederate had brought to his place. In the same building lives Nancy Springer, a shoplifter whose thieving husband is in prison awaiting trial.
Socialite Ethel Wyndham turns down Jim Carew’s marriage proposal because of his working-class status causing him to go prospecting in the Yukon. He strikes it rich and begins a romance with Little Snowbird. Deciding to take one last look at life in the big city before settling down he heads to New York where he runs into Ethel. After telling her of his success he proposes again and while she’s tempted Ethel is tempted to accept him, she has involved her in an extortion operation unknowingly and Thomas Martin threatens to expose her if she marries Jim. Once again broken-hearted, Jim returns to Little Snowbird only to face heartache and a daughter he knew nothing about.
Broadway actor Lyle plays the adventures of a night in the West. One evening he enters a small theater where a 10-20-30 repertory company is playing. He is struck by the beauty and talent of Ruth Darrell, a young member of the company, and sees in her the type to request a new play in which he will appear the following season.
The year is 1025 and Arnljot Sunvisson has returned home after a long journey to find that his betrothed has married another.
After his beloved daughter leaves for the city to pay off his debt, an old farmer goes mad when her letters become less frequent and it is suspected she may be using her body to get the money.
Jean Servian's eyesight is failing and is desperate for money, marries wealthy widower Geoffrey Vane after telling him that he must be satisfied with her gratitude rather than her love. Then, following an affair with artist Philip Derblay, who finally leaves her, Jean settles down to a quiet, boring life with Geoffrey, who knows nothing about her failed romance. Years later, however, after Lucille, Geoffrey's daughter by his first wife, becomes engaged to Philip, Jean feels compelled to tell the story of her own affair with him. The disclosure has little effect as Lucille makes no change in her wedding plans, but then, when she breaks in on a violent argument between Philip and Lucille, Jean accidentally shoots and kills her former lover. A trial results in her acquittal, however, after which Jean realizes that she really does love Geoffrey, who easily forgives his wife for her past indiscretion.
Having forced Jim Carson to leave town in order to avoid a trumped-up embezzling charge, now Albert Temple is rid of his only serious rival for Helen, whom he soon marries. Jim goes to Alaska, where he adopts Bob Adams, the son of a murdered friend, and then makes a fortune in a gold strike. After eighteen years in the Yukon, Jim returns to his hometown with Bob, who falls in love with Helen and Albert's daughter Dorothy. Because he so hates Albert, however, Jim refuses to consent to a marriage between Bob and Dorothy until Helen tells him that Albert is not the young woman's father. In reality, Dorothy is Jim's own daughter, and when he learns this, Jim quickly changes his mind about the marriage.
May Blossom loves Richard Ashcroft, a Southern officer, and accepts his proposal of marriage immediately after receiving one from her father's choice, a suitor named Steve Harland, who loves her madly. She sorrowfully tells him she prefers Richard, nearly breaking Steve's heart. That night, without a chance to bid May good-bye, Richard is arrested
Rooly, Pooly and Dooly were "picture sandwiches," but hardly shining lights, even in that capacity. Consequently they were "canned" by the management. A brilliant idea; one would play the wild man in the village square, a real live show of their own. Rooly and Pooly then basked in the society of fair country belles, but Dooly at length was rescued by Miss Smart, looking for excitement. She was not disappointed.