Zac Harrison, upon his release from prison, assumes responsibility for seeing to the needs of June Curry, the 17-year-old daughter of a fellow inmate who has died. He is reformed by her innocence and, in time marries her.
In San Francisco, Sylvia Douglas and her fiancée, James Callahan, a reformed crook, make their getaway after Jim, disgusted with his inability to find a job, un-reforms and steals a diamond necklace. Graham, a detective, gives chase to a desolate island in the South Pacific where a rum-running gangster, Murdock, holds him captive. Callahan becomes infatuated with a native girl, Leona, and Sylvia turns to Graham for protection against the offensive Murdock. A volcano eruption causes problems for all.
Don Hathaway Jr. goes to Alaska to escape Follies girl and meets with an accident. The girl helps him and takes him to her home where jealous rival accuses him of being a bootlegger, when he is the culprit himself. Hero proves innocence and defeats rival for affection of girl.
As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement.