When multi-millionaire banker John Argyle is found brutally murdered in his home, suspicions are cast upon Mary Mazuret, his adopted daughter who became the sole beneficiary of his estate under his will, Argyle having quarrelled with his son Bruce. Just as the case begins to look black for Mary, Asche Kayton, a great private detective, is called in by Bruce and takes hold of the investigation.
A cautionary tale for aspiring flappers. Five of six reels survive.
Gennaro, the son of Lucretia Borgia, lives unaware of the identity of his mother, who has married the Duke of Ferrara. After Lucretia's brother is killed by five conspirators, the fathers of Gennaro's dearest friends, Lucretia tortures the old men to death. Later, Gennaro and his companions journey to Lucretia's domain, and she sees her son for the first time. The Duke, who believes him to be her lover, poisons him, but Lucretia administers the antidote in time and saves his life. Then she schemes to poison her sons' five friends for their fathers' mistake.
Capt. Deering, a British war hero whose exploits in the Arabian desert have earned him the nickname "The Man of Stone", returns home to London to discover that his fiancé, the wealthy Lady Mary Fortescue, has left him for another man. Devastated, he returns to the desert and begins to drink heavily, which results in his becoming gravely ill. He is cared for by the lovely Laila, an Arab woman who falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Lady Mary has broken up with the man she dumped Deering for and travels to the desert, determined to get him back and to let nothing stand in her way.
A foppish Londoner joins the Royal Canadian Mounties and tries to break a smuggling ring.
A Southern teen at a ritzy boarding school gets into mischief while acting the sophisticated grownup to impress a suave gentleman and match wits with a pair of jewel thieves.
After a whirlwind romance Marion Phillips and Richard Flint marry impulsively without Richard realizing Marion is wealthy. Marion insists upon living in lavish style, but Richard, embittered by the cutting remarks made by his wife's snobbish friends leaves to seek his fortune in the mines. Marion follows but is soon bored. Persuaded by James Cardwell she goes back to her glamorous friends in the city before Richard strikes it rich. Determined to have his revenge upon Cardwell, Richard returns to New York crushing Cardwell on Wall Street but obliterating his wife's wealth in the process. The barrier that existed between them thus resolved; the lovers are reconciled.
Frank Prentiss, a multi-millionaire who hates and distrusts women, convinces his adopted son, Jack, that they are detrimental to a man's success. The overworked Frank is forced to rest at the country home of his friend, Mr. Gray, where he meets and falls in love with the host's daughter, Kate. She refuses his proposal at first, but later accepts because her father, who has two younger children, is experiencing financial difficulties. Following the wedding, Kate is subjected to Frank's verbal abuse and seeks solace with Jack. Their friendship enrages Frank, who tortures them with his accusations. During a dinner party, Frank accuses Jack and Kate of being lovers in front of the male guests. Jack is restrained from accosting his father, but Frank suffers a fatal heart attack. Later, Jack and Kate fall in love and are married.
For revenge, wealthy Osbert Gault marries Virginia Mynors, the daughter of a woman who had jilted him years earlier. Unaware of Gault's motives, Virginia consents to the marriage for the sake of her impoverished family.
A silent film comedy.
New York City society girl Evelyn Whitney is determined to prove that she can make her own living on the Lower East Side. Having no luck with her first attempts she succeeds as cafe singer Mary Malone falling for former gang leader Larry Marshall along the way. Trouble comes when the jealous Stella attempts to stab Evelyn and is shot by Larry. Evelyn flees to her home and becomes seriously ill, but learning that Larry is on trial for murder, she rallies to testify on his behalf.
Headstrong Mavis Cole defying her grandfather runs away with the wealthy but caddish Herbert Whitman. Proving he’s no good Herbert plants a stolen necklace on Mavis and attempts to have her arrested when he comes under suspicion, so Mavis flees to a hunting lodge then entering into a marriage of convenience with Jimmy Ryder to hide her identity. Meanwhile, Herbert bribes ex-convict Steve La Marche to steal a jewel from Dorothy Grosscup but Jimmy captures the thief, though he claims innocence. Dorothy accuses Mavis of the theft, but she is cleared by Steve, resulting in Herbert's arrest.
Lorenzo Carilo selects more-or-less menial jobs at which to make a living, other more "select" jobs not paying enough, and then he meets and falls in love with Vivian Forrester the daughter of a new-rich family. What's a poor boy to do? He might pose as a French Duke.
At a reception given at the Rogers mansion in his honor, Somerset Carroll surprises the guests by saying he would aid a female convict reported to have escaped. Later he does just that when he finds the girl in the library, taking her to his own house. There she reveals herself to be socialite Helen Rogers, playing a game with him on the advice of her guests. He then declares himself a crook, holding the real Carroll prisoner, with the intention of robbing the Rogers mansion. She follows and shields "The Magnet" from the police, the real Carroll having escaped and notified them, and through her interference he eludes his would-be captors.
Brian Lazar returns to his shabby dwelling after pawning a valuable ring. A woman, accompanied by a detective, accuses him of being a thief, but, before his arrest, Brian pleads for the opportunity to tell his story.
Dissipated youth Tommy Hilgrade is sent to the lumber lands in the Northwest by his father who hopes that hard living will reform his son. Accompanying Tommy is his sister Marion. Upon their arrival in Canada, lumber foreman Jack Macy is attracted to Marion but, unknown to her, he contributes to Tommy's addiction to drink and gambling. When Marion falls in love with French Canadian Jules Bonnivet after he rescues her from a fall through the ice, Macy schemes to destroy their romance by fabricating the story that Jules is responsible for Tommy's downfall.
Henry Baird, a young newspaperman with a second-hand car but little money, decides to raffle off the car at a county picnic, so that he can take out his sweetheart, Mabel Darrow, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. However, as soon as Henry gets the money, his tailor demands that he pay off his debt. Also, youngsters set the car on fire before he can give to the winner, Joseph Plant, whose wife Evelyn was formerly Henry's sweetheart.
