In this drama, a traveling troupe of actors find themselves in danger of becoming unemployed when their manager up and leaves. Two of the actors decide to marry and settle down. The lead actor helps set up the rest of the troupe with some performances. He then destroys the new marriage. Later the woman and the head actor fall in love. He then gives her the lead role in his newest show.

Billy Benson has a reputation as a "bad boy" largely due to his habit of winding up in fist fights. Billy is usually fighting to defend his dad's reputation. John Benson is the town ne'er-do-well: a failed inventor who has labored the past 20 years on what he believes is a revolutionary fire extinguisher. Wealthy businessman Walter Howe realizes that it really is a million-dollar idea, and plots...

McGee becomes a fireman over the protests of his mother, who doesn't want to see her son sacrifice his life the way his father did. When she dies, McGee adopts little Elizabeth Stevens, who takes care of him instead of vice versa. Along the way he meets Agnes Evans, a chorus girl, and falls in love.