Summary
Wilbur, a guileless young farmer, finds his rural tranquility upended when tasked with delivering his farm animals for a city show. A series of unfortunate events sees his livestock scatter, leaving him with only his faithful mule, Sadie. Upon arriving at the bustling Opera House, Wilbur stumbles into a dramatic confrontation, witnessing the manager's aggressive advances towards the charming leading lady, also named Sadie. Driven by an innate sense of chivalry, he intervenes, sparking a comedic chase through the theatrical world. Donning a stolen Russian costume, Wilbur inadvertently becomes the Czar in the ongoing performance, only to be unmasked and ejected. His persistence leads him back into the fray, disguised as a cow – a role intended for his mule – which culminates in another grand reveal and a second expulsion. Undeterred, Wilbur awaits Sadie at the stage door, and in a whimsical twist, they depart in a sleigh pulled by the ever-present mule, heading back to the farm, an unlikely pair united by shared absurdity and a traffic officer's bemusement.
Synopsis
Wilbur, a young farmer, contracts to furnish his farm animals for a show. On his way to the city they all get away except his mule. At the Opera House he sees the manager making advances to Sadie, the leading lady. He knocks the manager down and tells Sadie that he'll keep him from bullying her again. The manager tells one of his prop men to throw Wilbur out. But he escapes, dressed in one of the Russian costumes. The show is going on. It is a Russian scene and the chorus is doing a Russian dance when the Czar and Czarina arrive. Wilbur is the Czar and Sadie is the Czarina. In the meantime, the manager instructs his prop men to examine every man with a beard until they find Wilbur. While they are looking for Wilbur, the real Czar comes out of his dressing room and says someone has stolen his costume. They discover Wilbur dressed as the Czar and throw him out. The second act is a country scene with the chorus girls dancing as dairy maids. The property men dress Wilbur's mule in a cow hide. Wilbur sees this, and when no one is looking and changes the hide to his own back. Sadie is carried in on his back and as she starts to alight, he falls and is unable to arise. In his efforts he loses his head and his disguise is penetrated. And once again he is thrown out. When the show is over he is waiting for Sadie at the stage door and they both drive off in the sleigh drawn by the mule. They are stopped by the traffic officer who asks them where they are going. Sadie tells him they are going back to the farm.
