[The black king]: Deacon Charcoal Johnson is a rabble-rousing phony who rallies his fellow black citizens to establish their own country. To do this, he creates a fundraiser and collects money from Harlem to Mississippi intending to keep it all for himself.
[The Duke is tops]: Lena Horne stars as an entertainer who gets a chance at Broadway but currently headlines for a stage show run by Duke (Ralph Cooper). Dreaming of bright lights and big city, Lena cuts her ties to Duke and heads for Broadway. But then when her big debut becomes a big disaster, only Duke can save the day.
[Spirit of youth]: Aspiring boxer Joe Thomas (Joe Louis) falls into the clutches of a femme fatale (Edna M. Harris) who tears poor Joe's heart to pieces and sends him fleeing into the arms of his childhood sweetheart (Mae Turner).
[The glove]: A one-time cop and ex-ballplayer schemes to earn a $20,000 reward for the capture of a maniacal killer who beat a prison guard to death with a "riot glove."