old hollywood

When Polly Fisher, a circus aerialist, is hurt while performing, she is taken to the house of a nearby minister, John Hartley. As she recuperates, they fall in love with each other and secretly marry. But when the truth leaks out , John's congregation rebels at having a circus woman as their minister's wife, and he is fired. Polly decides to leave John in hopes of giving back to him the calling that means so much to him. But fate steps in and rearranges all plans.

Tom Collier has had a great relationship with Daisy, but when he decides to marry, it is not Daisy whom he asks, it is Cecelia. After the marriage, Tom is bored with the social scene and the obligations of his life. He publishes books that will sell, not books that he wants to write. Even worse, he has his old friend working as a butler and Cecelia wants him fired. When Tom tries to get back together with Daisy to renew the feelings that he once felt, Daisy turns the tables on him and leaves to protect both of them.

Conditions are spartan on Dennis Carson's Indochina rubber plantation during a dusty dry monsoon. The latest boat upriver brings Carson an unwelcome guest: Vantine, a floozy from Saigon, hoping to evade the police by a stay upcountry. But Carson, initially uninterested, soon succumbs to Vantine's ostentatious charms...until the arrival of surveyor Gary Willis, ill with malaria, and his refined but sensuous wife Barbara. Now the rains begin, and passion flows like water...

Sadie McKee's takes many twists and turns. She starts as the daughter of the well-off Alderson family's cook; lawyer Michael Alderson likes her but she runs off to New York City with her boyfriend Tommy. But before they can get married, Tommy deserts her for showgirl Dolly. Back in her hometown Sadie becomes involved with Michael's chronically alcoholic millionaire boss Brennan and marries him for his money. Michael views her as a gold-digger at first, but then sees her help Brennan beat his alcoholism. Sadie leaves Brennan to try to find Tommy when she hears that her old flame is in trouble. Little does she know just how much trouble.

Wealthy Bob Harrison buys all the seats in the theatre to watch Mona Leslie's musical by himself. He loves her, her agent Ned Riley loves her. Conflict ensues.

Playboy Jonathan Blair wakes up after a night on the town to find that Texan Valentine Ransome has escorted him home. Val is attracted to Jonathan but, finding that his life is aimless and his family shipping company almost bankrupt, she decides to reform him first and marry him later. Aiding her is Jonathan's unctuous butler, Butch; in her way is his fiancée, ditzy actress Carol. Lots of slapstick.

Alison is owner and successful manager of an automobile factory. She also has a good relation to her employees - especially the male ones, which she is known to invite to her bed for some time and then dump quickly. Only the inventor Jim Thorne refuses her offers - will she fire or marry him?

Mrs. Fay Cheyney, a rich American widow, insinuates herself into London society. Two men in particular -- middle-aged Lord Kelton and Lord Arthur Dilling, a young playboy -- pursue her. All are present at a large weekend house party, and though both men press their suit, Fay seems to favor Kelton. Then Dilling sees Fay's butler lurking in the gardens, recognizes him as a jewel thief who was apprehended in Monte Carlo, and realizes that Fay is probably after the hostess's pearls. Fay does get hold of the pearls -- but before she can pass them to her accomplice, Dilling gets hold of her.

A veteran of World War I marries and settles happily into a tidy, humble life until an accident brings back memories of a former life of wealth and privilege while blocking all recollection of his existence since the war. Thus one man disappears, and another man long missing turns up and claims his vast inheritance. What does his devoted wife, whom he no longer recognizes, do?

Bank employee Ruth Brock has a reputation around town for being fast-and-easy but none of the panting suitors has made her yet. She disillusions them one after the other, but the last lad is a bad sport and starts a gossip scandal, among the hens and roosters, about her and a millionaire playboy and Ruth loses her job. Figuring that as long as she has the name, she might as well play the game, she looks him up.

An actor, Paul Orman, is accidentally told that his new, custom made tail coat has been cursed and it will bring misfortune to all who wear it. As the 4 succeeding wearers of the coat discover, misfortune can often lead to truth.

Among the travelers of varied backgrounds that meet and interact on one night at Union Depot, a metropolitan train station, are Chick and his friend Scrap Iron, both newly released from prison after serving time for vagrancy. Hungry and desperate for a break, Chick fortuitously comes across across a valise abandoned by a drunken traveler. In it he finds a shaving kit and a suit of clothes with a bankroll, which help transform the affable tramp into a dashing gent. After buying himself a meal, Chick seeks some female companionship among the many hustlers who walk the station. He propositions Ruth Collins, a stranded, out-of-work showgirl and takes her to the station's hotel. However, he quickly realizes she's not a streetwalker but another hard luck victim of the Depression. Touched by the Ruth's sincerity, he vows to help her buy a ticket to Salt Lake City, where a job awaits her. Scrap Iron is lucky too, stumbling across a wallet with a claim check discarded by a pickpocket. When Chick claims the violin case, he finds it filled with cash, unbeknownst to him, counterfeit. As he buys Ruth a new dress and train ticket, the real counterfeiter and secret servicemen begin closing in on them.

Cas Brown is about to marry for the second time; his first marriage, to Isabel, was annulled. But when he discovers that Isabel just had their baby, Cas kidnaps the infant to keep her from being adopted. Isabel's parents hunt for the child and discover that Cas and Isabel are still hopelessly in love.

A rowdy, womanizing merchant marine, leader of an eccentric crew of misfits and drunks, is almost killed by a Japanese torpedo strike. The brush with death seems to make him even more reckless. In San Francisco, he clashes with a sophisticated, cold librarian, but hangs around because of his attraction to her much livelier, flirty roommate. Yet the seaman and the librarian can't quit challenging each other, almost to the point of a physical altercation. Following their most angry, almost violent argument, the two come together as lovers, running off to Reno for a quick, unlikely marriage. But almost immediately after, their differences in values and philosophy come to a head. The mismatched relationship seems doomed - and, possibly, to end in profound tragedy.

Blake Washburn blames manufacturer MacFarland for his defeat in the race for re-election to the state legislature. He takes over his uncle's newspaper to take on big business as an enemy of the people. Miss Martin works in the "Herald" newspaper office. When tragedy strikes, Blake must re-examine his views.

Fortysomething, blue blooded Boston born and bred, Harvard educated businessman Harry Pulham leads a regimented, routinized life with his wife, the former Kay Motford, who he's known since childhood. Harry outwardly believes he is all the more happy because of the way his life is, which was somewhat predetermined as part of his upbringing. This day, he receives two telephone calls which make him examine his life. The first is from Bo-Jo Brown, a Harvard colleague who is heading a twenty-five year reunion committee, with Harry foisted into the job of writing attendee biographies, which is to include his own. The second is from Marvin Myles, a former work colleague from his time over twenty years ago at the J.T. Bullard Advertising Agency in New York City, that job which Harry got from his more liberally minded Harvard friend Bill King. The result of these two telephone calls makes Harry wonder if he is happy, if he is or ever was in love with Kay, and if he never was if he would have been much happier if he stayed in New York with the girl he let get away, she, originally from humble means, who was not willing to live what she saw as Harry's blue blooded life in Boston. In the process, Harry will also find if he can turn back the clock twenty years or if there is a way to move forward to achieve that happiness which he now realizes is missing from his life.

Once, magnate Major Singleton ran the Royles out of the Kingsmont tobacco country for daring to make lowly cigarettes. Now in 1894, Brant Royle, last of his name, is back. Forceful and macho, Brant intends to re-establish his family no matter what it takes. Two lovely women have waited for him: bordello keeper Sonia, with love; Singleton's daughter Margaret, with hatred and desire. As automation rears its head, the struggle attains an epic quality. Will Royle Cigarettes flood the market? Will Brant pick the wrong woman?

Mary, a writer working on a novel about a love triangle, is attracted to her publisher. Her suitor Jimmy is determined to break them up; he introduces Mary to the publisher's wife without telling Mary who she is.