During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.
Art Louden, foreman of the Bar H Ranch, is contemptuous of the masculine city flappers and effeminate city sheiks who are vacationing on the ranch, and when reproached by the owner, Bill Hayes, for discourtesy to a guest, Art complains that there are no "she-women" left. Seeing a newspaper photo of Iris Millard, he is attracted by her apparent innocence; then she arrives with her father, and Art is disillusioned to find her as snobbish and as jazzily dressed as the others. His disdain, however, causes Iris to play up to his ideas.
When an itinerant performing troupe that specializes in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” return to the owner and her son’s hometown for a show the younger brother Roy is nervous and unhappy because he plays Little Eva in the play. Sure that his sweetheart and her family will jeer along with the rest of the town he stumbles during the performance wrecking the set and bringing the show to a grinding halt. All is well though when the town’s hotel proprietor throws a big dinner for the troupe.
Bim (Buck Jones) seems to be his town's biggest loser, but when he takes a needy 13-year-old boy named Bill (George Stone) under his wing, it seems there may be some hope for Bim. After learning about Bill, a young teacher, Mary (Helen Ferguson), whom Bim secretly adores, helps get the young boy into school. And when Bim then helps Mary repay a loan, defaulted on by shifty boyfriend (William Buckley), it becomes evident that Bim can reform. As the plot in this captivating film twist and turns, the stakes get higher, the action gets more intense and hope for Bim bounds upward.
Ed Simpson has been raised in an orphanage where he has caused much trouble. He can't stand living there anymore and runs away. On the streets, he finds a friend in newsboy Mike. Mike teaches him how to survive, but inevitably Ed gets hauled into court. The judge sees potential in him and hands him over to be adopted by a young politician.
Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. Accompanying him is Jim, a slave running away from being sold. Together the two strike a bond of friendship that takes them through harrowing events and thrilling adventures.