Mortimer Brewster, a newspaper drama critic, playwright, and author known for his diatribes against marriage, suddenly falls in love and gets married; but when he makes a quick trip home to tell his two maiden aunts, he finds out his aunts' hobby - killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar!

A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time..

The trustees of Midwestern University have forced three teachers out of their jobs for being suspected communists. Trustee Ed Keller has also threatened mild mannered English Professor Tommy Turner, because he plans to read a controversial piece of prose in class. Tommy is upset that his wife Ellen also suggested he not read the passage. Meanwhile, Ellen's old boyfriend, the football player Joe Ferguson, comes to visit for the homecoming weekend. He takes Ellen out dancing after the football rally, causing Tommy to worry that he will lose her to Joe.

The misadventures of a hotel bell hop played by Hank Man

Charlie is a clumsy waiter in a cheap cabaret, suffering the strict orders from his boss. He meets a pretty girl in the park and tries to impress her by pretending to be an ambassador. Unfortunately she has a jealous fiancé.

Claire Endicott throws a wild party and her father walks in to find her flirting with the very married Milt Bisnet. In an attempt to straighten her out, Endicott sends Claire to the Canadian northwoods, where his field engineer, Grimshaw, is working. While fishing, Claire is swept over the rapids and Grimshaw tries to rescue her. Both of them wind up in a remote gorge, and Grimshaw goes about building a hut as a shelter.

Inspector Killian tries to solve a murder case with his assistant Carney.

Notorious crooks "Hairpin" Annie and Sea Bass steal a suitcase on the train and discover that it is filled with scenarios. Its owner, Egbert Winslow, agrees to write a screenplay about the underworld with Sea Bass's help. Sea Bass, seeing a chance to expose a pal who has double-crossed him, describes "High-Shine" Joe and some of his underworld activities. Joe sees the film in a South American theater and recognizes himself. He goes to the motion picture studio determined to kill Egbert Winslow, but bank president Peyton, who has been robbed by Joe, appears simultaneously with the police and saves Winslow.