Rich and handsome Robert Murchison (Charles Rogers) is in love with lower middle class but pretty Alice Bisbee (Catherine Reichert). Robert's mother, old-fashioned snob Mrs. A. Brandewyne Murchison (Julia Ralph) calls on Alice's mom, Mrs. Bisbee (Maria Harris) to introduce herself and discuss matters. The situation looks good until Alice's dad, Samuel Bisbee (a big-nosed but slimmer W.C. Fields), arrives sloppily dressed and makes a total mess of things. Following Sam's antics, Mrs. Murchison walks out, feeling degraded. She forbids son Robert from seeing Alice, who have a spat and separate. As Mrs. Murchison enters her chauffeured auto, she calls something out to Sam, who retorts, "So's your old man!"
Sam Bisbee is a glazier by profession, and he is a good one as he has invented an unbreakable windshield in his basement. Automobile men are so interested that they have scheduled a demonstration in Washington, DC; they are willing to pay $1 million for a successful test. Unfortunately, Sam's trip ends badly. After he parks in a "no parking" zone his car is moved away to a different location. He successively confuses two other cars as his vehicles and inadvertently smashes both of their windshields. After his failure he glumly takes the train headed for his hometown of Waukeagus, NJ. He contemplates poison but the bottle breaks. On the train is Spanish Princess Lescaboura (Alice Joyce); she is running away from husband Price Alonzo because she feels that he has no time for her. She believes that she would be appreciated if she were of some service. Sam meets her and seems to cheer her up a bit.
Back at Waukeagus Sam is either snubbed or laughed at wherever he goes. Two gossiping old ladies saw Sam on the train and have spread a rumor that he was flirting with a woman. Meanwhile Princess Lescaboura has also arrived at Waukeagus; she tells the reception committee that she wants to see Sam Bisbee, which surprises folks. When the princess catches up to Sam, he's in a bad way. But a gang of folks, including the princess, somehow makes it to the Bisbee house. When snooty Mrs. Murchison, changing her tone, says to Mrs. Bisbee, "You're the luckiest woman in Waukeagus," the wife replies, "Is my husband dead?" When the princess further says her husband is a "great man," Mrs. Bisbee faints. But by the end of the week, the Bisbee house has become the stamping ground of society. Of course Sam still does not realize that Alice Joyce is a real princess.
Mrs. Murchison wants Bisbee to tee off the first ball and open up the new local golf course. This is a great social triumph for Sam. Meanwhile the princess' husband has hit town to investigate her activities, and happens to attend the golf event. At the course Sam takes a while to crank up his golf swing. In fact his humorous antics occupy most of the film's end, as the constant destruction of his golfing concentration is a classic piece. By then Bisbee has received great news about his invention. And lovebirds Robert and Alice have long made up. "Daddy, I'm the happiest girl in the world!" "So's your old man," he replies. But as this feature is a silent, we don't get to hear Fields' humorous asides and snide remarks. Nonetheless his expressions speak for themselves. In 2008, the National Film registry added the film to its famous listing as one to be permanently preserved.
Sam Bisbee is a glazier by profession, and he is a good one as he has invented an unbreakable windshield in his basement. Automobile men are so interested that they have scheduled a demonstration in Washington, DC; they are willing to pay $1 million for a successful test. Unfortunately, Sam's trip ends badly. After he parks in a "no parking" zone his car is moved away to a different location. He successively confuses two other cars as his vehicles and inadvertently smashes both of their windshields. After his failure he glumly takes the train headed for his hometown of Waukeagus, NJ. He contemplates poison but the bottle breaks. On the train is Spanish Princess Lescaboura (Alice Joyce); she is running away from husband Price Alonzo because she feels that he has no time for her. She believes that she would be appreciated if she were of some service. Sam meets her and seems to cheer her up a bit.
Back at Waukeagus Sam is either snubbed or laughed at wherever he goes. Two gossiping old ladies saw Sam on the train and have spread a rumor that he was flirting with a woman. Meanwhile Princess Lescaboura has also arrived at Waukeagus; she tells the reception committee that she wants to see Sam Bisbee, which surprises folks. When the princess catches up to Sam, he's in a bad way. But a gang of folks, including the princess, somehow makes it to the Bisbee house. When snooty Mrs. Murchison, changing her tone, says to Mrs. Bisbee, "You're the luckiest woman in Waukeagus," the wife replies, "Is my husband dead?" When the princess further says her husband is a "great man," Mrs. Bisbee faints. But by the end of the week, the Bisbee house has become the stamping ground of society. Of course Sam still does not realize that Alice Joyce is a real princess.
Mrs. Murchison wants Bisbee to tee off the first ball and open up the new local golf course. This is a great social triumph for Sam. Meanwhile the princess' husband has hit town to investigate her activities, and happens to attend the golf event. At the course Sam takes a while to crank up his golf swing. In fact his humorous antics occupy most of the film's end, as the constant destruction of his golfing concentration is a classic piece. By then Bisbee has received great news about his invention. And lovebirds Robert and Alice have long made up. "Daddy, I'm the happiest girl in the world!" "So's your old man," he replies. But as this feature is a silent, we don't get to hear Fields' humorous asides and snide remarks. Nonetheless his expressions speak for themselves. In 2008, the National Film registry added the film to its famous listing as one to be permanently preserved.