Life's Greatest Game

Johnnie Gains, son of a farming couple, is industrious and imbued with a spirit of sacrifice. Rejected for military service because of an eye injury, he enlists in the Salvation Army.

Veteran postman Bob Morley and his son Johnnie are honored for their service to the U. S. Mail Service. When Johnnie takes a position on the Enterprise, he is falsely convicted of theft and murder when the cargo is stolen and the ship's officer is shot.

In ancient Egypt, Queen Neco Tokris angers the high priest by falling in love with a minor cleric. The high priest arranges for his rival to be stoned to death, and the queen, rather than submit, allows herself to be buried alive with her lover's body. Many centuries later, a ship steams toward Cairo, Egypt. Among its passengers are wealthy playboy Reginald Stanhope; vaudeville dancer Celia Thaxter and her manager, Gregory Gallup, who together are maneuvering Reginald into marrying her. Also aboard are Herbert Boone, a shell-shocked drug addict, and his nagging wife, Adele; Kelim Pasha, an Egyptian prince who attracts Adele Boone's affections; and Mahmud, an Egyptian mystic who insists that Celia Thaxter and Herbert Boone are the reincarnations of an ancient Egyptian queen and a priest who sacrificed themselves for their love.

Because Dan McDowell is unable to operate the new mechanized fire equipment, he is retired with a small pension; his son, Johnny, quits school to work in the fire department; and his old horse, Bullet, is sold to a dirt-hauler. Dan is charged with stealing Bullet and is jailed, but he is cleared in time to give valuable aid in a fire that traps Johnny's sweetheart, June Rutherford.

Jack Holmes, a squatter, and his daughter, Margaret, settle on land owned by Harry Rawlins. Broncho Billy, gunman, is engaged by Rawlins to eject the squatter or put him out of the way. Broncho is wounded by a half-breed and Margaret nurses him back to health. The gunman then refuses to turn Holmes out.

Trixie Darling, a leading chorus girl in the musical comedy number "Chicken, Chicken, You're Some Pickin'," refuses Broadway Benham's seductive wine parties and luxuries. Instead, she marries John Collins, an awkward Westerner, who, she is surprised to learn, is a multi-millionaire with a huge orange grove in California. John, overhearing jealous dancers say Trixie married for money, decides to test her.

In 1906 Sweden, Captain Lars Larson (Knute Erickson) goes on a sea voyage, leaving his wife (Marcella Daly) behind expecting their first child. Unbeknownst to him while he is at sea, a bitter rival kidnaps her and makes it look as though she left him willingly. When he returns and discovers their home abandoned, he all but goes mad with bitterness and rage, destroying their home. In the years that follow, Larson becomes a sadistic, drunken reprobate of the sea, working for smugglers carrying all kinds of illegal cargo, including drugs -- and human cargo.

Jim Kane, a gambler, prevails upon Grace Carew to marry him. Grace is undecided whom she loves the best, John Hunter, a ranchman, or Kane, but finally decides to marry Kane. Some time later, we see Kane abusing his wife, neglecting her and always in a state of intoxication. Hunter has always been a friend of the family and it was nothing unusual to see him in their home, but Kane, entering the house one evening under the influence of liquor, misinterprets the meaning of Hunter's presence there, and upbraids his wife, slapping her in the face. Hunter is furious, but controls himself.

Unconventional Olive Barton shocks her aunt when she stages a boxing match during a tea for the new minister. When Olive's father is called West to attend to some mining interests, Olive sneaks into his private car and accompanies him. Arriving in the West, they meet Leonard Hewitt, a young mining engineer, and his partner "Highball" Hazelitt. Even though Olive mistakes them for bandits, she falls in love with Leonard. Olive turns the saloon into a successful gymnasium, manages to foil a conspiracy against her father's mine, and wins the love of Leonard.

Georgia Garrett is sent by jealous wife Elvira Kent on an ocean cruise to masquerade as herself while she secretly stays home to catch her husband cheating. Meanwhile equally suspicious husband Michael Kent has sent a private eye on the same cruise to catch his wife cheating. Love and confusion ensues along with plenty of musical numbers.

Diamond thieves have infiltrated the staff of O'Day Jewelry. The Los Angeles Police Dept. employs their newest weapon, an airplane, to help smash the diamond theft ring.

A man is tormented by the thought that his wife's child might not be his.

Gubernatorial candidate Walter Croyden is in love with Beatrice, but he acts obnoxiously when he drinks, so she flees to Europe to re-evaluate the relationship.

John Oakhurst, a gentleman gambler, befriends Sandy Morton, who has dissipated his birthright through gambling and excessive drinking and dropped from his father's sight. Although Oakhurst soon takes Sandy's place in the affections of his father, he boards a train heading West and meets Pritchard, an alcoholic, and his wife, the Duchess. Pritchard is wanted by the law and Oakhurst helps him to escape detectives who are on his trail.

Bright young novelist Mabel Vere is engaged to Gerald Wantage, a prig who angrily objects when she advertises for a husband in order to elicit ideas for her new book. Mabel's roommate, Maud Bray, a physical culture expert, frightens away the less desirable suitors, while the writer responds to the more interesting letters, and soon becomes embroiled in a number of adventures.

Broncho Billy had promised Marguerite that he would never drink again. She agreed to marry him. That afternoon, one of the village gossips sees Marguerite with Boy Turner, a surveyor, and hastens to inform Broncho of it. Marguerite's sweetheart threatens to kill the surveyor, but finally suggests a duel to be fought ten minutes later. Marguerite hears of it, hastens to the minister's home, where she gets him and takes him to Kelly's saloon.