Alva D. Blake

영화 에는 ‘비참한 생활'이란 의미가 담겨있다. 이 영화에서 찰리가 들개 스크랩을 버리지 않고 보살피는 까닭은 그 개를 통해 자기 자신을 보기 때문일 것이다. 길거리에서 잠을 자는 떠돌이 생활은 채플린 자신의 체험에서 온 것이기도 하며 당시 사회모습의 반영이기도 하다. 가난한 찰리는 공터에서 살고 있다. 일자리를 구하려고 애쓰지만 번번히 실패하는 찰리. 실의에 빠져 돌아오던 찰리는 다른 떠돌이 개들한테 공격을 받던 암캐 스크랩을 구해주고 집으로 데려온다. 스크랩의 도움으로 소시지를 훔치는 데 성공한 찰리는 댄스홀에 가지만 돈이 없어서 쫓겨나고 만다. 그런데 스크랩이 땅에 묻힌 지갑을 우연히 파내자, 찰리는 그 안에 든 돈으로 댄스홀에 간다.

"Waffles," the waitress at "Coffee Dan's" hash-house, is selected by Bert Gallagher and Clara Johnstone, a pair of crooks, to be represented as a missing heiress whose story they have read about in the papers. "Waffles" herself believes the story, as she was orphaned early and remembers little of her childhood, and by adroit coaching is able to convince the estate's none too bright lawyers of the validity of her claim. With this unlimited money, poor little "Waffles" nevertheless has only three desires: to buy the little restaurant for her old benefactor, Shorty Olson, to publish the music written by her lover, Carl Miller, a young, eccentric, absent-minded musical genius, and to adopt the baby that a Mrs. O'Shaughnessy is too poor to care for.

Marion, who has kept house for her father since her mother's death, has two suitors, Rufus Strong, the village blacksmith, and Eph Little, the village beau brummel.

A woman is stuck with an unfaithful husband until he is killed robbing a bank.

Walton, the District Attorney, yearns to have children. Soon after defending an author on trial for publishing indecent literature, Walton discovers a secret his wife and her socialite friends have been hiding from him.

Unaware of the weakness of Bob Graham's character, Bess Dawson decides to marry him instead of the other cowboy who loves her, Cheyenne Harry. Before the wedding, however, some crooks induce Bob to take part in a hold-up. Then when Harry hears that a posse has been dispatched to catch Bob, he rides out to him and helps him escape.

Ed Brown plays a old war veteran tired of living in a veterans' home and decides to move in with his wealthy nephew.

The story of St. Gabriel, who was killed by an ignorant mob for making a nude statue representing Purity, who is also represented by a ghostly naked girl that flits through the film.