Summary
“On to Reno” orchestrates a comedic entanglement born from marital and fiscal strain. The narrative centers on Vera, a young wife, who, facing financial hardship with her husband Bud, accepts a peculiar proposition: to impersonate the affluent Mrs. Holmes in Reno, thereby fulfilling a residency requirement for a swift, convenient divorce. This act of calculated deception rapidly escalates when Bud, discovering Vera’s abrupt absence, misinterprets her destination as a prelude to their own marital dissolution. The farcical layers deepen with the arrival of Mr. Holmes, who, seeking a last-ditch reconciliation with his estranged wife, uncovers Vera’s charade. Rather than expose her, he shrewdly leverages the fraud, compelling Vera to maintain the ruse for the stipulated three months under threat of legal action, effectively becoming an unwilling accomplice. The climax sees both the genuine Mrs. Holmes and a frantic Bud converge on Reno, leading to a remarkably serendipitous resolution where personal entanglements untangle amidst an unexpected business opportunity, restoring both marriages and financial stability through a convenient, if contrived, twist of fate.
Synopsis
When Vera and Bud, a young married couple, become financially hard pressed, Vera accepts an offer from Mrs. Holmes, a rich matron who wishes Vera to impersonate her in Reno to fulfill the residence requirements for her divorce. When Bud finds she has gone to Reno, he immediately suspects that she plans to divorce him. Mr. Holmes goes to Reno, hoping to effect a last-minute reconciliation, discovers Vera's impersonation, and threatens to have her arrested for fraud if she leaves before the 3-month period is up. He unpacks and prepares to remain with her. Mrs. Holmes and Bud arrive, and both couples are happily reconciled after Bud discovers that Holmes is the very man with whom he wishes to renew a contract that will improve his and Vera's finances.
