The magazine "Paintings of the People" initiates a contest to select the best watercolor painting of ethnic peoples and customs. A hungry bohemian painter invokes his muse to help him to produce the winning painting, and when he experiments with scenes set in Mexico, Argentina and Spain, his paintings come to life. In Xochimilco, Mexico, a young bachelor has a drunken dream that his girl friend is performing Josephine Baker's famous banana dance in a Parisian nightclub. In Buenos Aires, an Italian and a Galician are rivals for the affections of a Creole girl. At the other side of the Hispanic world, a Sevillian girl tells of her tragic romance with a matador, who obstinately continues to appear in the ring despite having been injured.

Gwynplaine, son of Lord Clancharlie, has a permanent smile carved on his face by the King, in revenge for Gwynplaine's father's treachery. Gwynplaine is adopted by a travelling showman and becomes a popular idol. He falls in love with the blind Dea. The king dies, and his evil jester tries to destroy or corrupt Gwynplaine.

Woman Wise is a 1928 American silent comedy drama film directed by Albert Ray and starring William Russell, June Collyer, and Walter Pidgeon.

Carmen, a gypsy, working in a Spanish cigar factory, is flaunted by Escamillo, the bullfighter, but infatuates José, a soldier, who aids her to escape from jail and follows her to the gypsy camp. Tiring of his love, Carmen finally fascinates Escamillo and the love-crazed José kills her at a bull fight just as Escamillo is being proclaimed by the audience.