Plot Summary:Mary Blake arrives at Blackie Norton's Paradise gambling hall and beer garden looking for work as a singer. Blackie embarrasses her by asking to see her legs, but does hire her. She faints from hunger. Nob Hill Socialite Jack Burley and Maestro Baldini of the Tivoli Opera House see her singing and offer her a chance to do opera, but Blackie has her under a two-year contract which she sorrowfully stands by. Later, when he makes up posters featuring Mary in tights, she does leave for the Tivoli. Blackie gets an injunction against Burley, but knocks out the process server when he hears Mary's performance as Marguerite in "Faust". She asks her to marry him and she agrees to go back to the Paradise as his kind of singer, but Blackie's childhood chum Father Tim intervenes. After Blackie slugs the priest, Mary leaves. She is soon the star of the Tivoli and Blackie's place is closed down. She sings a rousing "San Francisco" on behalf of the Paradise at the annual "Chicken Ball" and wins the $10,000 prize which Blackie throws to the floor. As she storms out of the hall a terrible rumble betokens the famous San Francisco earthquake. Buildings collapse, streets split wide open, the city burns, the army dynamites whole sections of town. After staggering around in a stupor Blackie finds Father Tim and the two of them find Mary at a Salvation Army camp. Backed by hundreds of others, they look out over the ruins which are gradually replaced by the shining new city with a reprise of the title song.
本片以1906年旧金山大地震为背景，穿插了竞选、歌唱、狂欢、爱情和宗教宣传。影片的主要特点是长达二十分钟的大地震高潮，摄影、特技和剪辑都有些特点；尤其音响效果和整个场面的气氛结合得较好，增加了惊心动魄的感觉，曾获得第9届奥斯卡最佳音响效果金像奖。导演范戴克以手法明快见长，这部影片的开头和结尾都采用了一组经过设计的短镜头来表达一事件的过程。女主角珍妮．麦唐纳的主题歌，曾流行一时。
