The Better Way

This patriotic and historic picture portrays the writing of the famous national hymn by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. In the early part of the Civil War President Lincoln was very much discouraged at the lack of enthusiasm and the tardiness with which the people answered the call for volunteers to join the army.

Geological expert John Leighton naïvely introduces his flirtatious wife Emily to his boss, W. G. Griggs. Griggs sends John to the Graypeak district to prospect for quarries and is soon involved in an affair with Emily. While in the mountains, John rescues Enid Arden from an attack and she falls in love with him. Returning home John discovers the affair and leaves Emily. Emily and Griggs go to Europe to avoid a scandal and while there start divorce proceedings. But Griggs’ philandering ultimately costs him his life and Emily tracks John to Graypeak. Although she tries to win John back a fateful train ride clears the way for John and Enid to face a happy future together.

Rolly Sigsby, a society clubman bitterly weary of life, wanders into the middle of a gunfight between the organized gangs on the lower East side in the hope that he will be killed by a stray bullet.

Chorus girl Teena Johnson may be "hard-boiled," but she's no golddigger. Thus, when the father of her wealthy sweetheart Kyle Stannard tries to buy her off, Sally refuses the money. She sticks by Kyle even after he is disinherited and forced to go to work. The financial strain on the young couple's marriage eventually takes its toll, and before long they separate, with Sally returning to the chorus line to square her husband's debts.

Wallace Phillips is tricked out of his share of his father's fortune by his brother Gordon. Wallace changes places with his brother and manages to fool even Gordon's wife. A lost film.

A small-town, jazz-mad girl, Peggy Marston (Dorothy Revier), becomes involved with a pair of society thieves, Maurice Dumond (Armand Kalis) and Maxine (Mildred Harris), and finds herself falsely accused of possession of stolen jewels.

When her husband Fred goes bankrupt, Lily Morton is forced to give up the trappings of wealth and move into a humble home while Fred attempts to fight his way back to prosperity. Resentful of her modest circumstances, Lily accepts her friend Marion Garland's offer to introduce her to Mrs. Farington, a woman who will pay handsomely for Lily's escort services. Lily goes to work for Mrs. Farington while her unsuspecting husband struggles to regain his former wealth. While managing an apartment house for one of his wealthy clients, Fred visits Mrs. Farington, a tenant, and, noticing a framed picture of Lily, asks to be introduced to the girl. Mrs. Farington arranges the rendezvous, and when Lily arrives, she is confronted by her enraged husband who chokes her to death. At this moment, Lily awakens from her nightmare, and chastened for her superficiality, begs Fred for forgiveness.

In order to raise money for surgery for his crippled brother, Jim Barry accepts a job with Warner, leader of a gang of narcotics smugglers.

A small-time hood shoots his way to the top, but how long can he stay there?

Corrupt alcoholic attorney Tom Cardigan is one of the best lawyers around, commanding the courtroom like a stage and often winning his cases. Mobster Valentine Powers, who employs Cardigan and put him through school, asks him to represent a woman, June Perry, accused of prostitution. Cardigan agrees. But he never expected to fall for her, which is problematic since he's angling to become governor and will need the right kind of wife.

When World War I comes to an end, three pilots find themselves on hard times. They wind up in Hollywood, where they work as stunt fliers for a sadistic director.

Two Hollywood stuntmen compete for the same pretty extra.

Two friends working a jungle oil field clash when one marries a lady of the evening.

A gambler, hopelessly in debt, agrees to pay off his debt by allowing his creditor to take out a life insurance policy on him and collecting once the one-year suicide clause has elapsed.

A bootlegger falls apart when his wife leaves him.