In 1915, Captain Liers, commander of a submarine is leaving his hometown, where he, his 2nd officer and the radio-operator, spend their shore leave. On patrol they sink a British armored cruiser, but while returning to their harbor, they’re attacked. They’re able to sink it, but the trap has alarmed a destroyer, that sinks their sub. The sub lays on the sea bed at 200 feet, and except for the bridge, it is full of water. 10 members of the crew survived, but there are only 8 rescue devices.
Reporter Miss Lee is looking for a story and approaches White as he’s assembling the latest edition of his famous revue. As it turns out, she has lots of backstage gossip to choose from; Mona Vale, White’s latest discovery, is making her Broadway debut in the show, and she’s fallen in love with the star, Jimmy Martin. Jimmy, however, only has eyes for Barbara Lorainne, a snooty high society type also in the cast.
Chick Parker and Pete Pendleton are songwriters that are en route from New York to Hollywood to make their fame and fortune; Dorothy, a lunch wagon proprietor, joins them.
The year is 1919. German troops retreat from Ukraine. The Directory, the Ukrainian national government lead by Symon Petliura, takes control of Kyiv. Meanwhile, the Bolshevik division commanded by Mykola Shchors is marching on the capital. The Bolsheviks capture the cities of Vinnytsia, Zhmerynka, and others one by one, but lose Berdychiv to Petliura’s forces. They are demoralized by the defeat. By his personal example of courage and military skill, Shchors inspires the retreating Red troops and leads them to victory over the enemy.
The daughter of a senator from South Dakota visits Manhattan for the first time, eager to see the sights of the big city. While there, she finds herself caught up in an affair with a man who, while drunk, married a woman who’s blackmailing him for a divorce.
Naïve insurance agent ‘Cyclone’ Case falls in love with Sylvia Martine, whose father has a dispute with gangster Mike Slade. When Sylvia is kidnapped by Slade and his gang, ‘Cyclone’ decides to save her and wanders straight into a gang war without even realizing it.
Prague in the 1860s: Balduin is a popular, handsome student, the best fencer in town, in amicable rivalry with his friend Dahl for the affections of Lydia, the innkeeper’s niece. While the students are celebrating Lydia’s birthday, the opera singer Julia Stella arrives at the inn – and Balduin’s life begins to unravel. He is immediately infatuated with the glamorous singer – but she is already kept by an admirer, the wealthy and foppish Baron Waldis. How can a poor student hope to compete? The mysterious Dr. Carpis, who also has ties to Julia and is jealous of the Baron, intervenes. But the price will be higher than Balduin can ever imagine.
