The Show Down

Grace Wallace was the only child of a widow of decidedly meager means. Mr. Rupert Howland, a widower of considerable wealth, the father of a girl child, and an old friend of the family, often surreptitiously helped them. He dearly loved the young girl, but it was only at the death-bed of Mrs. Wallace that he really showed it. The poor woman at the point of death realized the helplessness of those she was leaving behind, her own aged parents and her daughter Grace. To assure their future she begged Grace to marry their dear friend, and Grace, touched by the man's goodness and her mother's condition, consented. Not content with the promise, she asked that the marriage take place at once by her bedside, and the wish was granted. Poor Grace struggled hard to love the dear old man, but while she admired and respected him, and was profoundly grateful for his kindness, she could not love him.

A young woman doesn't want to get married, but simply live together with the man she loves. This leads to problems when the man dies and she's left with a child.

To help secret serviceman Bill Parsons in pursuit of the thieving Benson gang wealthy criminologist Henry Avery sends his assistant Blinky to cover the waterfront while he attends a reception at the home of Mrs. Cornelius Westervelt. At the soiree he meets gang member Alice Carter while also discover the gang’s cache hidden there. Captured Parsons is saved by Blinky, and the pair foil the gang’s attempt to rob Mrs. Westervelt and her guests.

Two married couples, Doris (Helen Chadwick) and John Manning (Gayne Whitman) and Clara (Dorothy Revier) and Herbert Bradley (Ray Ripley), each separate as a result of domestic arguments. After certain misunderstandings and false accusations, peace is returned on the home front.

Lydia Jansen is happily married to a young customs inspector, but she harbors a dark secret. She is addicted to smoking opium or in slang parlance “hop.” To keep her secret, she willingly pays the blackmail her maid extorts from her having learned of Lydia’s habit through her own fiancée who is part of the ring importing the devil’s brew. Something unknown to all is that the operation is run by Lydia’s father an important politician in the city where this all occurs. As her husband’s investigation tightens the noose on the organization Lydia faces a crisis.

Firemen Tom and Joe each loves the other's sister, although neither is able to support a wife. Tom's troubles are compounded by a rival for his sweetheart's hand. In a drawn out fight he bests the rival, who steals the revenue from the firemen's ball (of which Tom is treasurer) and hides the money in the storage warehouse in which Tom's sister works as a stenographer. While Tom, Joe, and their sweethearts search for the money, the villain also returns for his loot, and, in his haste, he sets the building afire--trapping the foursome behind a steel door. Their calls for help reach the street, an alarm is turned in, firemen come to the rescue, and the money is found in a blazing desk.

During his daily duties, Casey the Cop rescues a woman who's soon his sweetheart. Later, she learns from her banker uncle that her inheritance has been stolen, and he's accusing Casey's own cashier brother. Casey is on the case.

Betty falls in love with Samuel Hayden, who was washed ashore after having survived a shipwreck. The self-acclaimed most religious man in town accuses a kindly man, whom he calls "The Devil," of robbing Samuel. Soon becoming bored with this slander, he attempts to break up the romance between Betty and Samuel, contriving to have her turned out by her stern father. Samuel is later discovered to be an escaped convict. This disclosure results in a series of escapades during which the true character of the village hypocrite and "The Devil" are revealed, showing the former to be vicious and the latter to be generous and benevolent.

A high-society woman, Glenna Marsh (Dorothy Revier), is arrested for the murder of gigolo-gambler Cole Norwood (Norman Trevor), but his honest casino partner Peter Dane (Tom Moore) proves her innocence.

Blinded in a train accident James Driscoll (Holmes Herbert), whose wife, Miriam Driscoll (Belle Bennett), has been having an affair with his young male secretary Phillip Kingston )Carroll Nye), regains his eyesight. He keeps this from his wife, who continues her affair. Finally, he invites his young niece Nancy Driscoll (Josephine Borio) in the hopes she will fall for Philip and vice-versa. His ploy works, James reveals he can see again, and husband and wife are reconciled.

In a banana republic, way south of the Texas border, a dumb-Dora American girl, Norma (Olive Borden), lets her ruby-red lips promise more than she is willing to deliver, and she finds herself a prisoner in a notorious dance-hall/brothel. But her American aviator boyfriend, Barry Blake (John Boles), is flying to her rescue. He does just that but, alas, they are quickly captured by a gang of outlaws. Possibly the many expensive pieces of jewelry she has gathered from the many male friends she has made along the way, including El Presidente, captured the outlaws' attention.

The story centers on a sordid love triangle involving a woman and two men. Their personal tensions and romantic complications reach a breaking point just as the local infrastructure fails. The climax of the film occurs when a massive dam bursts, unleashing a catastrophic flood. This disaster serves as the ultimate resolution for the characters' interpersonal struggles, forcing a conclusion to their conflicting relationships through the life-and-death stakes of the inundation.

This part-talkie (17 minutes of dialogue in its 83-minute running time) tells the tale of Christina, the daughter of Dutch toymaker Niklaas. Much to her dad's dismay, Christina falls in love with sideshow huckster Jan. Likewise disapproving of the romance is Jan's jealous employer Mme. Bosman, who frames the young man on an embezzlement charge.

When brilliant lawyer Harry Sevier, an alcoholic, cannot cope with the prosecution's tactics, his innocent client Paddy the Brick goes to prison. After Harry's sweetheart Echo Allen, the daughter of Judge Beverly Allen, breaks their engagement, Harry leaves to combat his problem. Meanwhile, Cameron Craig, whose interest in a distilling corporation is threatened when a suit is brought before Judge Allen, steals incriminating love letters written by the Judge years earlier. Echo boards a train to offer to marry Craig for returning the letters. Harry, on the same train, and now beardless, follows Echo to Craig's home, where a burglary occurs. After Harry, not recognized by Echo, gives her the letters, Craig is shot, and Harry, along with Paddy--now a burglar--is sent to prison. Harry escapes and finds himself nominated to run for governor on the "dry" ticket. After Echo confirms that he was innocent of shooting Craig, Harry wins the election and her love.

In his will, Mr. Baird leaves his son Arnold just one seven-passenger auto and a hundred dollars to keep it filled up and in good repair. When James Bennett hears of this, he insists that Baird do something to make his fortune before he can marry his daughter Ruth. Bennett begins by using the car to start a jitney-bus line. This is not terribly impressive to Bennett -- who owns a trolley company -- and he decides he would rather see Ruth married to his controller, William Mott-Smith.