Summary
Zip Monberg, a man of languid repose, drifts through his domestic sphere as if perpetually half‑asleep, his mornings coaxed awake only by the tickle of a few stray feathers. His wife, a relentless taskmaster with a voice that never ceases, orchestrates the household from dawn until dusk, her directives echoing through every corridor. Their son, a mischievous imp named Sonny, transforms the modest apartment into a stage for petty crimes and slapstick calamities. One afternoon, while his mother leaves a tray of cooling pies on the fire‑escape, Sonny positions a garden hose beneath them, redirecting the pastries into a clandestine feast for himself and his dog. The matriarch discovers the theft, summons Zip, and the ensuing chase culminates in a bathroom where Sonny plunges into a tub, splashing water everywhere. In the frantic scramble, the bathtub tips, sending a deluge onto the hotel’s unsuspecting guests. Later, the family attempts to transport Sonny in a carriage; a quarrel at the top of the stairs sends the carriage toppling, scattering the infant and its contents. Zip, attempting a stroll on the beach, becomes distracted by other infants, allowing a young woman to summon him to the pier where a baby carriage careens toward the water’s edge. In a frantic dash, Zip strives to rescue the carriage, only to find that Sonny has slipped away, concealed while his dog and a bewildered companion cling to the rolling vehicle. The scene resolves with Zip confronting a stranger in the carriage, marveling at how swiftly his son appears to have matured. Professionally, Zip is a clandestine stock‑dealer operating from a subterranean hub beneath the ocean, a locale frequented by inebriated fishermen whose triumphant hauls stagger them home. A detective, employing a bait of money to attract fish, harvests a bounty of rye‑tainted catches, then enlists a pack of 1928 blood‑hounds—referred to as "lions"—to pursue the lawbreakers. The chase spirals into an elaborate pursuit across an amusement park, threading through scenic railways and a kaleidoscope of attractions, culminating in a chaotic denouement that blends slapstick with a faintly noirish undercurrent.
Synopsis
Zip Monberg slept so well that he had to have a couple of feathers to tickle him to wake up. His wife was one of those cute little things always ready to nag, and from early in the morning to late at night she would boss him around. Their son was the most mischievous child and was in all kinds of mischief and trouble. When his ma put some pies on the fire-escape to cool off he stood underneath with a hose and manipulated these pies so that both, he and his dog had a feast. His mother discovers the theft and starts to punish him. He goes into the bathroom, jumps into a tub full of water, and splashes it all around. Mother chases daddy in after the boy and in the scramble they tip the bathtub and cause a sudden downfall of water on the guests at the hotel. They take sonny for a ride in his carriage and while they were arguing at the head of the stairs the carriage falls down, baby and all. Father takes baby for a stroll on the beach and for gets all about his baby when he sees other "babies." One girl calls him down to the beach and they are sitting there chatting when friend's wife comes along. She sees the baby carriage riding toward the end of the pier and great excitement follows when daddy tries to catch the carriage before it goes over the pier. In the meantime sonny had crawled out and was in hiding, when his dog and some fellow who had too much laughing water was in the carriage. When the carriage and the father come to the surface he discovers this man in the carriage and is astounded to think his son has grown so quickly. Zip is in the "private stock business" and carries on his business at the bottom at the ocean. Just about where his establishment is you can notice a bunch of fishermen at all times and when they have made a good catch they go staggering away. A detective discovers the bunk, puts down his money as bait for the fish, receives a load of fish and tests the good old rye. He enlists the aid of his 1928 blood-hounds (lions) who help him to catch the law-breakers. A wonderful chase follows, which takes place in an amusement center on scenic railways and different things.
Review Excerpt
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A Lion in the House: A Silent Era Oddity Unpacked
When the Century Lions first rolled A Lion in the House onto the silver screen, audiences were presented with a peculiar mélange of domestic farce, maritime intrigue, and a chase sequence that feels ripped from a carnival midway. The film, directed by the enigmatic Dot Farley, refuses to be pigeonholed; it flits between the mundane and the surreal, offering a tableau that rewards repeat viewings.
Narrative Architecture: From Bedroom Slu..."
