Judging from the identical sets, this two-reel Stan Laurel comedy was shot at the same time as The Weak-End Party -- both of which were produced by former cowboy star Gilbert M. Anderson (as Broncho Billy, Anderson was cinema's first cowboy star). The handy man at a big mansion (Laurel) is having a romance with the cook (Marta Sterling), but when the overseer (Otto Fries) discovers that she's about to receive an inheritance, he begins romancing her himself. Complicating matters is the appearance of a mysterious stranger (Harry Mann). The owners of the mansion throw a party, and the love affair is back on between the handy man and the cook. The overseer tries to put a halt to it and the handy man accidentally drops a mousetrap, prompting a mouse stampede which clears the mansion of all the guests. The handy man and cook run off to the courthouse to get married, with the overseer chasing after them. But it's all an exercise in futility, as it turns out that the stranger is the cook's real husband. Before making his exit, the handy man hits one and all on the head with the judge's gavel.
by Janiss Garza
synopsis
