A runner, serving a life sentence at Folsom Prison, works at becoming the world's fastest miler and wins a chance to compete for a spot on the Olympic team.
Double-crossed and left without water in the desert, Cable Hogue is saved when he finds a spring. It is in just the right spot for a much needed rest stop on the local stagecoach line, and Hogue uses this to his advantage. He builds a house and makes money off the stagecoach passengers. Hildy, a prostitute from the nearest town, moves in with him. Hogue has everything going his way until the advent of the automobile ends the era of the stagecoach.
A teenage girl and her boyfriend struggle with their love for one another, until an encounter with the girl's abusive father leads to the young couple to question the existence of goodness in life.
One of Santa Claus' "brownies" (elves) introduces the story of the Fairy Snow Queen, who plays a trick on Santa Claus by bringing all the toys to life just before Claus is due to deliver them to children around the world. She shows Claus what she's done and the toys demonstrate their abilities. The toys are distraught when Claus says they must be turned back into inanimate objects in time for Christmas, but the Fairy Snow Queen comes up with a plan to make everyone happy.
Bold animated drawings and a dramatic soundtrack provide background for narrators who argue that World War III is looming and, as such, world civilization is in danger. They contend that peace is our only alternative, an alternative we must all work towards.
