The Tramp and his dog companion struggle to survive in the inner city.
Dan Doolittle is a poor schmuck whose big talk usually gets him into trouble. After he is fired from his plumbing job, he saves Dolly Davis, who, grateful, promises to get him a job at the company where she works, Owl Taxi, which is owned by her father. That job is as the jack-of-all-trades in the garage, under the supervision of the garage foreman, whose job he expects to have within the week. But Dan becomes the bane of the foreman's existence, in part because Dan would rather spend his time with Dolly to who he is attracted. But after Dan is asked by the boss to drive Dolly to the taxi depot, Dan believes he can make his millions instead by buying a cab and starting his own taxi company. Interactions with Dolly's visiting brother - a hosiery salesman - who Dan mistakenly believes is Dolly's boyfriend, a pair of inflatable legs, and an angry foreman who was fired because of Dan's mistakes in the garage lead to one misadventure after another for Dan.
When Polly Fisher, a circus aerialist, is hurt while performing, she is taken to the house of a nearby minister, John Hartley. As she recuperates, they fall in love with each other and secretly marry. But when the truth leaks out , John's congregation rebels at having a circus woman as their minister's wife, and he is fired. Polly decides to leave John in hopes of giving back to him the calling that means so much to him. But fate steps in and rearranges all plans.
A grocery clerk, longing to become a cowboy actor, goes to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune. Unfortunately, his acting ability is non-existent.
An unemployed reporter, fired because of his drinking, takes a job at an advertising agency. Drama.
The dim-witted son of a heroic fire chief tries to follow in his late father's footsteps, only to become the unknowing pawn of corrupt politicians.
Unscrupulous agent Rush Blake makes singing waiter Buddy Clayton a big radio star while Peggy Cornell, who has lost her own radio show, helps Buddy.
After a mine cave in, the rescue crew risks their lives to search for two trapped miners.
Manicurists Sally, Irene and Mary hope to be Broadway entertainers. When Mary inherits an old ferry boat, they turn it into a successful supper club.
A faded star is suspected of killing a studio executive.
When spoiled young heiress Maggie Richards tries to charge some gasoline at an auto camp run by Bill Davis, he makes her work out her bill by making beds. Resolving to get even, she pretends to have forgiven him, and sends him to her father to get financing for a plan Bill has. What happens next was not part of her original revenge plan.
A bible-guided Victorian orphan befriends a bootblack in a strange town.
A man violates company policy by getting married.
A woman tormented by the hunting death of her husband forbids her son to have anything to do with horses. But when he falls for the daughter of his father's trainer, he defies his mother by entering the Maryland Hunt.
Occupants of a London boarding house become suspects as a string of murders are discovered.
A married reporter's assignments carry him all over the world, which gives him ample opportunity to put the moves on the local females.
Remy is a medical student who has a flair for making his patients comfortable. His genuine concern for the patients in his charge marks him as a hot prospect in his internship program. Pamela works at a children's book publishing company. The two meet via Pamela's brother, who is also Remy's good friend. They fall in love and get an apartment in the East Village of New York. Soon after, the couple begins to indulge in speed and barbiturates. They become heavily addicted. Remy is thrown out of medical school and Pamela quits her job. Remy soon finds himself in debt with the local dealer, Stutter, who introduces his customer to heroin as a revenge for his late bill. Pamela faces the prospect of getting sober at her brother's clinic, but must leave behind a destitute Remy in order to do it.
The events surrounding a factory in a small town are gone through in documentary style.
David and Linda Howard are successful yuppies from LA. When he gets a job disappointment, David convinces Linda that they should quit their jobs, liquidate their assets, and emulate the movie Easy Rider, spending the rest of their lives traveling around America...in a Winnebago.