An innocent man, serving a sentence of five years in prison through the perjured testimony of the real criminal, Steve Carson, foreman of a shipyard, strikes up a warm friendship with his cellmate, Harold Norwood, a defaulting paying teller. No less strange than their friendship is the befriending of Steve's wife, Annie, by Julia Seymour, prima donna, who is Norwood's wife. As a reward of good behavior, the men are released on Christmas morning. Annie is bewildered by the receipt of a bank book which shows that large deposits of gold have been made in her name and that of her sister, Mary, by their uncle, George Hosford, who, dying in Alaska, has entrusted the book to Joe Hawes, a fellow prospector. Hawes, coming to New York, has met Turner Morgan, Steve's predecessor as foreman of the shipyard, who bears Carson a lasting grudge and has fastened upon him the crime for which he was imprisoned. Morgan has tried to get the money, failed and lost the book. Anstey, a cub reporter on a daily
Although loudmouthed braggart Jerry Plunkett alienates his comrades and officers, Father Duffy, the regimental chaplain, has faith that he'll prove himself in the end.
Peter Casey has been with the New York City police department for 25 years. He's totally surprised when he's asked to retire on his 25th anniversary with the force. He's even more unprepared for the romance that develops between his favorite daughter, Maureen, and the Scottish cop who takes over his beat.
Perpetual optimist "Dreamy" Smith aspires to quit his job as newspaper publicity drudge and sail the world. But life--and his editor--conspire against him: Not only does the car he intends using as the boat's down-payment roll into the bay, but also his boss starts to claim "Dreamy's" better publicity ideas as his own.
Louise Randall is an independent woman whose "glass is half full" mentality was passed onto her from her father. Louise hopes that those around her, especially her children, have that same ethic of life. Louise learns that if she is ever to find true love in her life, she will have to have a special man who has the same outlook, and that she can't mold others to that mentality. She finds such a man in the form of Harold Pierson, her second husband who most see as being unreliable and non-driven. But together, Louise and Harold and their children try one business venture after another, some with success, some without. World events such as World War I, the Great Depression and World War II affect what happens to the family and their ventures.
A homesick, no-nonsense, lounge singer decides to leave New York City to spend some time visiting her two sisters and brother on the West Coast, and eventually falling in love with down-and-out ex-jazz pianist.
