Tugboat, the Narcissus, is owned and captained by Annie Brennan, and among her crew are her alcoholic but good-natured husband, Terry, and her conscientious son, Alec. Annie continually loses business because of Terry's drunken mistakes. Alec wants to quit school to work on the tug full time, but Annie will not sacrifice her son's education. A grown Alec has followed in his mother's footsteps and becomes a mariner, but a more upscale one as the captain of a luxury liner. Alec returns home with his fiancée, Pat - the boss' daughter - with a grand plan to save Annie from the life that drunkard Terry has provided her. But ultimately, it's Annie and Terry that need to be Alec's savior, and by their move show him the meaning of true commitment.
Marie Dressler
as Annie
Wallace Beery
as Terry (Husband)
Robert Young
as Alec (Son)
Maureen O'Sullivan
as Patricia 'Pat' Severn
Willard Robertson
as Red Severn
Tammany Young
as Shif'less
Frankie Darro
as Alec, as a Child
Jack Pennick
as Pete
Paul Hurst
as Sam
Willie Fung
as Chow, the Cook (uncredited)
Jack Randall
as Dance Extra (uncredited)
