This is the same plot as Three Godfathers. Three outlaws rescue a baby in the desert and with barely any water left try to return to the town in which they just robbed a bank.
A penniless drifter is recruited by an ambitious columnist to impersonate a non-existent person who said he'd be committing suicide as a protest, and a political movement begins. // As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement. At last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously...but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan.
Orphaned Molly is heir to a ranch and mine and falls under the influence of saloon-owner Plimsoll, who schemes to deprive her of the inheritance. Sandy Brouke and his pals, Soda Water Manning and Mormon Peters, wander off the range and champion the girl's interests. Sandy falls in love with the girl. The partners succeed in getting the mine from the conspirators and working it themselves while sending Molly off to school. Plimsoll frames Sandy and his men, however, and she returns to find them in jail. Through Molly's efforts Sandy is released, and ultimately the crooks are defeated. (based on Peter B Kyne's Three Godfathers; remade as Hell's Heroes)
Growing up in a poor working-class family, Laura decides not to marry the boy-next-door and instead accepts wealthy, older Will Brockton's invitation to move in with him. After falling in love with young up-and-coming newsman Jack Madison she leaves Brockton to wait for Madison's return from a long assignment. She runs out of money and becomes desperate, returning again to Brockton who, upon learning of Madison's sudden arrival, tells Laura she must inform Madison of her living situation or he will.
Fisherman Dutch marries cannery worker Hattie and quits his poorly paid job to concentrate on getting better working conditions as union leader. Unfortunately, the union members disagree with Dutch's ideas and kick him out. Without a job or union card to get another, he leaves Hattie to look for work. Hattiee steals money to help him when she learns he is really down on his luck and she goes to jail. He gets a new job, foils a plot to dynamite the ship, and promises to wait for Hattie.
