Summary
In the bustling, high-stakes atmosphere of late-1910s Manhattan, Jimmie Pendleton exists as a paradox: a legally astute practitioner of law who remains utterly paralyzed by the prospect of feminine interaction. His life is a frantic oscillation between professional decorum and the chaotic whims of his companion, Herbert Austin, whose profligate lifestyle necessitates a constant stream of financial appeals to Jimmie’s eccentric benefactor, Uncle Tobias. The narrative engine ignites when Jimmie secures an engagement to Mary, Herbert’s sister, only to have his domestic aspirations upended by the arrival of the formidable Tobias from the rural expanse of 'Kansabraska.' Tobias brings with him the corpulent Hepzibah and a mercenary ultimatum: a fortune in Liberty bonds hinges upon Jimmie’s abandonment of Mary for this unbidden cousin. The plot descends into a masterclass of farcical complications when Herbert, in a fit of misguided levity, deposits an infant from the Belgian Babies War Relief on Jimmie’s doorstep. A subsequent vehicular mishap leaves Herbert hospitalized and Jimmie isolated, forced to sequester the crying foundling within the confines of a cupboard to evade the scrutiny of his future in-laws. The tension escalates as Jimmie, suspecting Herbert of fiscal malfeasance regarding the relief funds, absconds with the Liberty bonds, only for Hepzibah to orchestrate a double-cross and elope with the loot. The resolution requires a daring hospital escape, a desperate pursuit of the stolen securities, and the eventual vindication of Jimmie’s character in a whirlwind of recovered honor and romantic restoration.
Synopsis
Young New York lawyer Jimmie Pendleton is shy around girls, but spends much time in escapades with his friend Herbert Austin, necessitating frequent wires to Jimmie's eccentric Uncle Tobias for money. After Jimmie becomes engaged to Herbert's sister Mary, Uncle Tobias arrives from Kansabraska with fat cousin Hepzibah and promises Jimmie $20,000 in Liberty bonds if he will marry her. Herbert, who is treasurer of the Belgian Babies War Relief organization, places a baby on Jimmie's doorstep as a practical joke. Herbert is subsequently involved in an auto accident and cannot leave the hospital for several days. Jimmie hides the baby in a cupboard and tries to conceal its cries from Mary and her mother. After Jimmie, believing that Herbert embezzled the relief group's funds, takes the Liberty bonds, and Hepzibah steals them from him and elopes with another man, Herbert escapes from the hospital, the bonds are recovered, Jimmie's reputation is reestablished, and his romance with Mary flourishes.
Review Excerpt
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The year 1919 represented a pivotal juncture for American cinema, a period where the industry began to shed its primitive skin and embrace the sophisticated narrative structures that would define the roaring twenties. Joseph Franz’s Life's a Funny Proposition stands as a vibrant testament to this transition, blending the slapstick sensibilities of the previous decade with a nuanced exploration of post-war social anxieties. At its core, the film is a frantic comedy of manners, yet it pulses wit..."
