Prof. Post (Buster Keaton) is a shy Classics professor at Potts College, who has lived a sheltered life and has little experience of life outside of academia. Feeling that the professor should see more of the real world, his assistant tricks the professor into thinking that he has inherited $750,000, allowing the professor to leave academia and see the world. Boarding a train bound for New York City, Prof. Post encounters James (Jimmy Durante), the manager of a dancing troupe that has an engagement in the backwater town of Fish’s Switch. The professor becomes infatuated with one of the dancers, Pansy Peets (Ruth Selwyn), and accidentally alights at Fish’s Switch when attempting to learn her name. He attends a performance by the dancing troupe at the local theatre, and is impressed by their act. Feeling that the troupe should continue their act, Prof. Potts finances the troupe and takes them to perform on Broadway theatre, but only after James insists that the act be improved to a higher standard. Potts’ suggestions of using inspiration from Ancient Greece are taken on board, with some minor alterations, and the show is turned into a grandiose musical revue. Although Potts wishes that Pansy be the leading lady, the show is quickly turned into a star-vehicle for spoiled actress Eleanor Espere (Thelma Todd), who attempts to win over the professor in order to take total control over both the show and the money it is expected to earn at its debut. Pansy attempts to warn the professor of Eleanor’s bad influence, with mixed results. On the night of the show’s debut, James discovers that the professor does not really have the $750,000 he believes to possess, and attempts to keep the professor away from the production for fear of ruining it. The professor stumbles on-stage at several points, amusing the audience who think it to be part of the act. However, his antics cause Eleanor to throw a tantrum, and the professor realizes that she does not truly love him as she claimed to, and gives his heart to Pansy.
