Summary
In the 1926 silent comedy The Feud, Van Bibber, the quintessential urbanite, finds himself thrust into the decaying grandeur of the American South. What begins as a leisurely motor trip with his social circle devolves into a comedy of errors when they stumble upon a local auction for an ancestral mansion. Through a series of loud misunderstandings with a hearing-impaired local regarding the price of automobiles, Van Bibber’s shouts are misinterpreted by the auctioneer as aggressive bidding. Before he can clarify the situation, he becomes the bewildered owner of a massive, dilapidated estate. The narrative shifts from slapstick social satire to a treasure hunt when a celebratory party at the mansion leads Van to trigger a hidden mechanism, exposing a long-lost cache of wealth. This discovery reignites a dormant local rivalry, drawing Van into the crosshairs of a violent family feud. The film culminates in a chaotic, physical brawl where the antagonists essentially defeat themselves, allowing the accidental hero to secure the treasure and his own reputation among the locals.
Synopsis
Van Bibber and his party motor to a Southern village where an old mansion is being sold at auction. At the sale Van is questioned by a deaf villager concerning the price of expensive autos, shouts at him in reply, the auctioneer takes his answers as bids and Van finds himself the owner of the property. That night an old-fashioned party is held in the mansion. Van accidentally touches a secret spring which reveals the hiding place of hidden treasure. The folks with whom the original owners are at feud appear and carry off the treasure box. Van gets mixed up with them. In the free-for-all scrap which follows, the feudists battle among themselves till all are knocked unconscious. Van then restores the treasure to the owners and is hailed as a hero.
