Harold Horne is a shoe clerk, with
dreams of glory. He decides to enroll in a mail-order success
course from the Personality-Plus Corporation, and earns his diploma
from his home in Honolulu. His first entry into high society
is at a black tie gala, where he meets Barbara, who he had met
previously. She thinks he is a rich businessman, and he
furthers the deception, saying he is in the leather business.
Indeed, he thinks she is the daughter of wealthy Mr. Tanner, the
owner of the shoe store Harold works in (actually, she is his
secretary).
Later, Barbara and Mrs. Tanner, the
owner's wife, enter ;the store, and Harold goes to extravagant means
to avoid Barbara, while managing to injure and embarrass Mrs. Tanner
(not knowing her connection to the store owner). Harold is
called upon to deliver some shoes to a departing ocean liner,
destination California. The passengers include the Tanners,
and Barbara, who thinks that Harold is a passenger too. He
soon is, in keeping up the pretense, but without money, clothes, or
cabin. He somehow manages to find a place to sleep (inside a
box of life preservers, or a lifeboat—whatever
is handy, finds food, and a formal suit (by managing to get a fellow
passenger seasick, and swiping his suit).
Harold is horrified to see his
picture in a magazine, in an ad for the Personality Plus program,
and runs throughout the boat, attempting to steal all copies of the
magazine. Mr. Tanner, later, berates Barbara for her failure
to mail an important letter. Harold, eager to help, promises
to get the letter to Los Angeles on time, before the boat docks.
He manages this by hiding in a mail sack, and is flown to shore.
The sack containing the letter (and Harold) is accidentally dumped
onto a painter's scaffold, which is being hoisted up from the
street.
As he is rising, he attempts to cut himself free with
a pocket knife. Harold has a horrible time getting free,
battling guardrails, cigar butts, an awning, a bucket, a fire hose,
and the scaffold itself, which is being handled by two painters, who
are in a heated debate over which is the better fighter, Dempsey or
Sullivan. Harold, in mid-air, yells for the help of Charcoal,
the janitor; Charcoal succeeds in making Harold 's predicament even
more perilous. Harold manages to get to the roof, but climbs
upon a cloth that is soaked in ether (paint remover): he falls
off the roof, while tangled to a rope and, eyes shut from fright,
finds himself hanging from a window rail. He feels as if he is
still stories in the air, but the is actually only inches from the
ground. Passersby have a good laugh, and Harold kisses terra
firma. He recovers, delivers the important letter on time, and
is made Western District Manager of the shoe company by Mr. Tanner.
Harold got his glory, and the girl.