A young man from the country travels to the city to find his fortune. Although he has a letter of introduction from his wealthy uncle, the best job he can find is that of a street cleaner.
Eric "Anker" Ankerstjærne and his wife are like night and day. One day, the gap between the couple becomes too wide – Naomi, who is a passionate violinist, skips town, leaving him alone with their daughter.
Twin brothers are serving in the French army during the Great War. Jacques, a private, leads his brother's company to attack when Honoré, a lieutenant, panics and flees.
When theatrical agent Sterling, a ladies man known for signing his latest paramours onto his agency's talent roster, returns to New York from a trip to Europe, he tells his more down-to-earth partner, Lawson, that he has hired a beautiful Neopolitan acrobat he saw onstage in Italy.