- Bill Brawley, a longshoreman represents the dockworkers in contract talks with their unscrupulous boss, Manson Kenwick, who tells his own sister, Norma, to take Bill's mind off negotiations. Meanwhile, the workers prepare for the waterfront boxing championships. They urge Bill to participate, but when he refuses because he promised Norma that he would not fight, they believe that he has sold out to management. Even Bill's sweetheart, Fen, now afraid of losing him to Norma, cannot convince him to box. On fight night, Bill attends a party at Kenwick's. He learns that Kenwick has persuaded the men to sign a pro-management agreement and also that the fighter for the Kenwick shipyard is injured. Bill rushes to the ring, wins the fight, forces Kenwick into a fairer agreement and tells Fen that he never stopped loving her.—Pamela Short
- Big Bill Brawley is a longshoreman by occupation and a prize fighter by inclination. Bill's sweetheart is Fen Bernham, a working girl. Manson Kenwick is head of the Kenwick Shipping Company, which was left him by his father. Norma, his sister, an idle society girl, is as anxious as he to sell the business because society is beginning to call them "The Dock Wallopers." Bill Brawley is elected chairman of the employee's committee which is seeking an increase in wages. Kenwick, through his manager, threatens Bill with the blacklist if he does not cease agitation for increase. Bill defies them. An International Shipping Corporation, which is about to purchase the Kenwick Shipping Company, declines to close the deal until the labor dispute is settled. Tim Dirgan, one of the longshoremen, is secretly employed by Kenwick in an attempt to discredit Bill with the men. When Dirgan fails, Kenwick seeks to placate the men by establishing club rooms for them and pretending an interest in their affairs. Norma endeavors to influence Bill. As time passes and Bill is unable to obtain Kenwick's signature to a wage agreement, the men believe Bill is losing interest in the fight. They begin to listen to Dorgan, who promises to get them what they ask. A prize fight for the championship of the waterfront is about to be fought. Bill, being the white-hope of the Kenwick men, is urged by the longshoremen to enter the bout. He refuses, saying that he promised Miss Kenwick not to fight. Fen fears she is losing Bill. She appeals to the other woman, Norma, who scoffs at her pleas. When Fen remonstrates with Bill about his interest in the Kenwick girl, he declares he is doing it for a purpose, but Fen is unconvinced. It is arranged that on the night of the big fight, Norma, together with other stockholders of the company, is to have Bill at her home for a reception. During this time, Dirgan is to present to the men an agreement drawn by Kenwick, which presumably, but does not, give the men an increase. While Bill is realizing how much he is out of place with these society people, Dirgan obtains the signatures of the men to the agreement. The fighter for the Kenwick side sprains his ankle and the Kenwick's are in a fair way to lose the championship of the waterfront. Fen hears this and goes to make a final appeal to Bill to win the battle for the men. In the meantime, Bill, walking restlessly about the Kenwick house, sees Manson Kenwick and Tim Dirgan in conference. It begins to dawn on Bill that he has been tricked. Dirgan flees. Kenwick locks the agreement in his desk. In a battle of intellect versus will power, Bill forces Kenwick to give up the agreement. As he forces Kenwick to sign another agreement, the society people break into the room. Having accomplished his purpose, Bill denounces Kenwick, and Norma as well as the stockholders who brought him there to laugh and sneer at him. Fen arrives in time to hear this and learns that Bill loved her all the time. Bill arrives in time to enter the ring for the Kenwick longshoremen and in a hard fought battle not only wins the championship of the waterfront, but regains the flagging confidence of the men.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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