The Uncompromising Voice of Norman Taurog: Decoding A Home-Made Man

The burly proprietor of the Business Man's Gymnasium and Cafe is in a hole. Among all his strong-arm pupils there isn't a soda mixer in the lot and the patronage of the soda fountain is suffering. He hangs out a "man wanted" sign and awaits results. A knock comes on the door and in walks an old lady. With her is her son Lloyd, who applies for the job as soda-jerker. He is accepted, dons his apron and starts mixing the drinks. As a soda-counter man, Lloyd is a total loss with no insurance. He tries to copy the artful style of his fellow workers at the fountain but only succeeds in spilling the drinks all over the place. He has little better luck serving the food orders. A patron orders a stuffed tomato and Lloyd, watching his co-worker tries it himself. He stuffs it with everything behind the counter until it is stretched all out of shape. When the customer sticks it with his fork, it explodes in his face. For this Lloyd is taken from behind the counter and set to work in the gymnasium as an instructor. He tries to teach the class a lesson in Indian.club work but makes a mistake with his orders and the entire class is knocked out. When he tries to show them how to perform on the flying rings, he puts them all into a state of horror by his healthy swings which carry him out of the window high over the city below. The proprietor comes in just in time to see Lloyd do something more foolish than ordinary. He gets sore and tells Lloyd that he is going to give him boxing lessons. On the floor above a lady is taking exercise and jumps up and down. Her weight dislodges one of the globes on the light in the ceiling below, just above the head of the gymnasium proprietor. Just as Lloyd swings, the globe hits the proprietor on the head, knocking him out on his feet. Other globes fall until the burly instructor is completely out, and Lloyd is hailed as the gym champion.