Summary
Amidst the tumultuous currents of nascent marital discord, Freddy Wetherill, freshly estranged from his bride Hyla, plunges into the diverting spectacle of vaudeville. There, he encounters Undine, the illustrious "diving Venus," and her remarkable trained seal, Bubbles. A chance meeting outside the theater embroils Freddy in Undine's fiancé George Fitzgerald's frantic efforts to shield Bubbles from a relentless bill collector, brandishing an order of attachment for an unpaid hotel bill. This escalating entanglement reaches farcical heights when Freddy's ailing, affluent uncle, Cato Dodd, requests Hyla's nursing care, imperiling Freddy's inheritance. In a desperate gambit to secure his pecuniary future, Freddy orchestrates a convoluted substitution, presenting Undine as his wife, with George masquerading as his "valet"—Bubbles, naturally, an integral, if unwitting, accomplice. The precarious charade is swiftly upended by Hyla's jealous arrival, coinciding with a catastrophic dam breach. As the Dodd estate and surrounding homes succumb to the tumultuous current, an improbable menagerie of displaced circus animals—including a bewildered alligator and an incongruous rhinoceros—seek precarious refuge alongside the human castaways on floating rooftops. Amidst this aquatic chaos, Hyla's indefatigable cab driver, himself adrift, stubbornly maintains his running meter, a testament to his unwavering professional resolve. Ultimately, the resourceful Bubbles, leveraging a colossal floating telegraph pole, engineers a heroic rescue, paving the way for Freddy's heartfelt reconciliation with Hyla and securing his benevolent uncle's continued favor.
Synopsis
Freddy Wetherill and his bride, Hyla, quarrel at her mother's beach cottage, and Hyla sends her new husband home alone. Seeking distraction from his troubles, Freddy enters a vaudeville theater where Undine, "the diving Venus," and her trained seal, Bubbles, are performing. Outside the theater, Freddy meets Undine's fiancé, George Fitzgerald, and becomes involved in George's effort to hide Undine's seal from a bill collector armed with an order of attachment because of an unpaid hotel bill. Complications arise when Freddy Wetherill's dying rich uncle, Cato Dodd, notifies him that he wants Hyla to nurse him. To insure he stays in his uncle's will, Freddy substitutes Undine for Hyla and takes George along to act as his "valet." Naturally, Bubbles comes along, too. Hyla soon arrives in jealous pursuit, just in time for a nearby dam to break. As the Dodd home and other houses float downriver, various swept-away circus animals, including an alligator and a rhinoceros, find shelter with the humans on the roofs. The cab driver that brought Hyla to the house is also swept away, but he keeps the meter running in hopes of getting her back in his taxi. Bubbles rescues everyone with a floating telegraph pole, Freddy reconciles with his loving wife, and Uncle Dodd remains kindly disposed to his heir.
Review Excerpt
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Unleashing Aquatic Anarchy: A Deep Dive into "The Galloping Fish"
Step back into the roaring twenties, a cinematic epoch brimming with burgeoning innovation and unbridled comedic spirit. Amidst this vibrant landscape, a particular gem, The Galloping Fish, emerges as a testament to the era's unique blend of domestic farce, slapstick genius, and utterly improbable plotlines. Directed by Del Andrews and written by the inventive duo of Frank R. Adams and William Lambert, this 1924 ..."
