House of Errors

Newspaper office messengers Alf and Bert are fired because of their sheer stupidity, but they aspire to be full-fledged reporters like Jerry Fitzgerald. They hit on a plan to take notes on everything that occurs in their lives and thereby come up with a story to sell to a newspaper. While taking notes, they overhear editor Carr complaining to lovelorn columnist Molly that Jerry has once again disappeared just when he wants him to interview Hiram Randall, a newspaper-hating inventor who is testing his new machine gun. Afterward, Molly calls Jerry at a hospital, where he is flirting with a nurse named Florence. Bert and Alf listen in as Carr recites Randall's address to Jerry over the phone. Knowing that Randall hates reporters, Alf and Bert decide to impersonate servants, and coincidentally, Randall's wife Martha is expecting new servants to report for work. When Jerry shows up pretending to be from the War Veterans' Bulletin, Randall, sympathetic to the veterans, agrees to an interview. Alf and Bert promise not to reveal Jerry's true identity, and all of them overhear conversations which lead them to believe that Paul Gordon and Drake, potential gun buyers, are plotting to steal the plans for the weapon. Jerry also overhears Gordon tell Drake that he is ensuring that all of Randall's tests will fail in order to force the price down. Gordon also intends to marry Randall's daughter Florence, who happens to be the nurse that both Jerry and Bert are after. When Jerry tries to kiss her, Gordon strikes him, and Randall throws Jerry out of the house upon discovering he is a reporter. Jerry tries to warn Florence about Gordon, but she does not believe him. When Randall's test fails, Drake tells him that he will report the failure to his company, which will withdraw its interest in manufacturing the weapon. Gordon then slyly appeals to Florence to marry him so that he can help her father. Jerry makes another attempt at warning Florence, but she rebuffs him. Later, the Randalls go out of town overnight, leaving Bert and Alf to watch over the house. Late that night, a storm causes a power failure and Drake brings a thug to the house, intending to break in and steal the gun. After several failed attempts at distracting Bert and Alf, Drake, wearing a fake beard, frightens Bert, who drops the keys to Randall's laboratory. Drake gets the gun and replaces it with a fake weapon. Bert retaliates by setting off a gas bomb that disables Drake and his thug, and Bert and Alf escape with the real gun. When Jerry arrives, he unwittingly takes the fake gun and puts it outside a window, but Drake steals it and escapes, and the Randalls have Jerry arrested. Gordon convinces Florence to elope with him, while Jerry waits for Carr to bail him out of jail. Bert and Alf spend most of the night in a boardinghouse, but return just as a freed Jerry is warning the Randalls about Florence's elopement. Gordon and Florence are flying over the Randall home in a biplane when Bert fumbles with the gun and unintentionally fires it. The shots strike the plane, which crashes into the Randall house. Florence is unharmed, and Bert thinks she is now his until she embraces Jerry. However, Bert is rewarded when Florence faints because of a loud noise and lands in his lap.