Anna Lucasta

At the family home in Los Angeles, Joe Lucasta learns that his friend Otis has sold a farm in Alabama and is distributing the proceeds to his children. Rudolph, Otis’s son, is bringing his share to California, with Otis hoping Joe can find him a wife. This news sets the money-driven tension that will thread through the Lucasta family dynamic.

Theresa believes Anna could be the fresh start Joe wants for Rudolph and joins the siblings in presenting Anna as respectable. They scheme to deceive Rudolph in order to get control of the money, while Joe objects to their plan and to Anna’s return.

Frank browbeats Joe into going to Anna’s last known whereabouts, a dockside cafe in San Diego, to fetch her home. Joe reluctantly follows the pressure of the others and travels to retrieve Anna.

The dockside cafe is Anna’s regular haunt, where she seduces sailors for meals, drinks, and a place to stay. As the cafe closes, Danny Johnson arrives, seeking to renew their acquaintance and proposing to move in, though he’s not aiming for marriage.

Anna consents to returning to the Lucasta home, but Joe angrily rebuffs her efforts to rebuild their relationship. The confrontation reveals Joe’s lingering anger and Anna’s longing for a fresh start.

Rudolph arrives in town and is soon disappointed to find that he’s not easily duped by Anna’s supposed respectability. Yet he is immediately smitten with Anna, and they begin a romance, despite the family’s initial suspicions.

Anna confesses the truth of her life in San Diego, and Rudolph declares that he still loves her, leading to their decision to marry. The union unsettles the family’s financial agenda but marks a new personal turning point for Anna.

After the wedding, Anna is alone when Danny arrives in response to her letter. She tells him that she fell in love and married Rudolph, and though Danny protests, he ultimately surrenders to her choice. Joe soon returns home, intent on breaking up the couple.

Joe declares his plan to ruin Rudolph’s job opportunities by telling employers about Anna’s past, vowing to do the same wherever Rudolph seeks work. Danny stands up for Anna, but Joe’s threats undermine Rudolph’s prospects and strain the marriage.

Danny and Anna decide to leave for Brazil after spending time in San Diego, with Danny needing time to raise money for ship passage and Anna eager to depart immediately. The push-pull between love and escape drives their volatile next move.

The couple returns to the Lucasta home to retrieve money while the family is at church. They find Joe on his deathbed; Danny goes to call a doctor, while Anna stays by his side as he deliriously addresses her as his child and prays for her.

Joe’s death leaves Anna in a moment of grief, and Danny quietly observes her crying. He then drives away, and Rudolph returns from church, racing inside after noticing Danny’s departure and realizing Anna is still in the house.