Dr. Stannard Wayne -- like all "good" men of the times -- is a God-fearing soul. He marries the former mistress of his friend, Dr. Arthur Richards, without knowing her past. Richards, an abortionist, resumes his affair with the woman and runs off with her. But before he leaves, he frames Wayne for one of the illegal operations he has done, and the innocent man is sent to prison for five years. When he gets out, Wayne has become angry and cynical.
Old Dabney
Parson Carson (as Bernard Durning)
Homer is an orphan who was never adopted, becoming the favorite of orphanage director Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. What will Homer learn about life and love in the cider house? What of the destiny that Dr. Larch has planned for him?
The young Ruth Travers, left an orphan after the death of her father financially ruined by Mortimer Reynolds, is welcomed at home by Jimmy Carter, a young millionaire who becomes her guardian. Ruth's winsome qualities gradually win Jimmy's heart. Meanwhile at a Charity Ball, Ruth meets Mr. Reynolds, who is contriving to ruin her virtue.
A young girl is betrothed to a rich Count by her family who have hopes of partaking in the Count's fortune. A parson who loves her uses his pulpit in a scheme to shame the family into allowing the girl to break the engagement and marry him instead.
Mrs. Abbott, an elderly newspaper vendor in dire straits, is taken in by Rupert Dodds, an art dealer, and Dick Foster, his young companion, who see in her transparent honesty an excellent shill for illegal activities in their art shop, where they remold gold and silver articles. Mrs. Abbott grows fond of the young man playing matchmaker for him and Trixie, the bookkeeper. Soon she becomes suspicious of Dodds and Dick’s activities and discovers that they are planning to rob the home of Lady Broderick, a wealthy customer. Attempting to prevent the crime she is arrested, tried and convicted but Dick confesses and clears her of the crime but there are more surprises ahead.
John Reeves, steel magnate, wagers with his son Chester that he can earn twenty dollars a week and live on it. He procures work in the office of William Hart's steel plant. Against her brother's wish, Hart's sister Muriel adopts a little boy. Hart evens up by adopting John Reeves as his father. Reeves foils James Pettison's plot to ruin Hart. Chester also makes good as a workman and wins the affection of Hart's sister. The father reveals his identity and takes Hart as a partner.
Country girl Helena falls in love with an artist painting the local village scenery and one evening she lets herself be seduced by him. The artists leaves but soon invites Helena to Prague where they make love again. Helena then returns home to her sick father and refuses the constant attentions of the gamekeeper Rýza. After some time she realizes that she is pregnant. Since she knows that the artist will not marry her, she goes to visit her aunt who takes her to an abortionist. When the girl returns home after the abortion she discovers her father has died. The opportunist aunt sees her chance and moves in with Helena and persuades her to marry Rýza.
Bank cashier Ramsey Latham is sentenced to prison for violation of the banking laws. On his way to the penitentiary, he encounters Hilary Kenyon, a young girl who speaks encouragingly to him. Later he is surprised to discover that Hilary is also a prisoner, having been found guilty of manslaughter for killing a man who attacked her.
This story of gluttony was the final installment in the seven films based on the Seven Deadly Sins. The censors considered the word to vulgar for use as a title for a film.
The fortune Eve Leslie has inherited has made her is indolent. When her sweetheart, Adam Moore, is called up to war she selfishly tries to prevent his going, but after being inspired by tales of the bravery of women through the ages she sees the error of her ways. Ultimately, she enlists as a Red Cross nurse and cures her sin of sloth.
The owner of a shipping line arranges to have his waster son shanghaied on one of his vessels commanded by the tough Captain Svenson. But the son discovers in time and gives them the slip. Instead a clerk working for the company Dick Marlow, engaged to his sister Miriam, is taken instead.
Andrew Maxwell is so intent on creating a universal language that he completely neglects his wife, Laurette, and daughter, Ruth. Laurette decides she wants to return to the stage and is encouraged by Charles Prescott, a former suitor. When Maxwell discovers Laurette and Prescott together, he berates her, and she angrily moves out, taking Ruth along with her.
Minister John Hodder becomes rector of a prestigious church in the Midwestern city of Bremerton but finds dissension and malfeasance among his congregation. When he calls it out both tragedy and a way forward are revealed.
In a jealous rage dancer Anna Janssen shoots her common-law husband Alastair De Vries in a cafe when she discovers him with a chorus girl. Fleeing to Tahiti she is tracked by detective Thomas McCarthy who arrests her. On their return journey they are marooned on a deserted island. After 2 years together, they realize their love and take marriage vows, but when a ship is sighted, she insists, against his wishes, that she return to face trial.
When Richard Barton's health fails, his wife Helen, desperate for money to pay the medical bills, agrees to spend the night with the wealthy Howard Barton, without knowing that he is Richard's long-absent brother. However, after she tells Howard that she is selling herself in order to help her husband, he calls off the rendezvous and sends her home with enough money to pay for Richard's care.
Grace Ainsworth wants to return to her career as an opera singer, and her mother-in-law supports her. Grace's husband, Edwin, wants her to stay at home and to convince her, he relates the story of his latest play about a man who allows his wife to return to the stage. Edwin comes to believe that Grace is in love with Harold Chase, a manager, and the couple separates. Edwin has an affair with a dancer, Madeline, and he winds up in a fight with her dancing partner, Vincenti, which causes him to lose his memory.
Clay Whipple is convicted of murdering the governor following an incident involving a cat's eye pin. Whipple is sentenced to death, but a mentalist named Psychic Jack believes he is innocent since Whipple had been hypnotized at the time of the murder. The psychic persuades the judge to grant the condemned man a retrial, and he sets out to uncover the identity of the real killer, during which time he manages to prevent a second murder from occurring.
Gordon Palmer is a lazy and cowardly rich man's son. When he and his fiancée, Aileen Merton, are held up by two crooks, Slug Williams and Beef O'Connell, he passively allows them to take whatever they want. At least he comes to life when they try to steal Aileen's engagement ring -- he scares them into giving that back. Aileen, however, is pretty fed up with him.
Seduced and abandoned by the caddish Louis La Farge shepherdess Marie Beaupre is cast out of the village and forced to survive in the mountains alone. Driven mad she becomes known as “the witch woman” until hypnotist Dr. Cochefort and his friend Delaunay encounter her while on a hunting trip, take her to Paris, and effectuate a cure at which time she becomes heir to Delaunay's fortune. All seems clear sailing until Marie is introduced to Louis's twin brother Maurice and mistaking him for Louis sets forth on a plan for revenge.
A woman with a taste for expensive clothing has four nightmares. An impoverished disabled girl sells her hair, a trapper finds he has an unfaithful wife, the wife of a dying weaver finds she cannot work the loom, and a model harassed by her boss is driven to murder.
The plot concerns a war hero who returns home determined to give up his old ways as a crook. Bud Doyle (Milton Sills) is still being hounded by the cops, and both his wife (Marcia Nanon) and a former associate, a dishonest politician, want to do him in.