[2] As described in a film magazine,[3] John Trott (Hughes) overcomes the bad influence of a wretched home, becomes successful as a contracting engineer, and marries the beautiful Tilly Whaley (Bellamy).

Then a specter of his past appears, a drunken mother, and during his absence his wife is rushed home by her sanctimonious father Ezekiel Whaley (Brownlee) and is granted a divorce.

Vidor’s spectacular cattle stampede in his previous picture The Sky Pilot (1921) was admired by critics.

Hoping to capitalize on that success, Vidor designed and built an elaborate model replica of a train and trestle and used it to stage a dramatic derailment.

Impressed by this special effect demonstration, Thomas H. Ince agreed to finance the completion of Love Never Dies.