Man on the Flying Trapeze 1935

Ambrose Wolfinger works as a memory expert for the president of a manufacturing company, carefully tracking every detail of the meetings so that the boss, President Malloy, never risks embarrassment. Yet Ambrose keeps no neat files; his desk is a sprawling jumble of papers that barely makes sense. He supports his quarrelsome wife Leona Wolfinger, his devoted daughter Hope Wolfinger from a previous marriage, his freeloading brother-in-law Claude Neselrode, and his stern, teetotal mother-in-law Cordelia Neselrode.

Late at night, two burglars — played by Walter Brennan and Tammany Young — break into Ambrose’s cellar, get drunk on his homemade applejack, and even sing the tune “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away.” Ambrose is forced to handle the situation and ends up arrested for distilling liquor without a license. While on the way to the night court, he chats about the big wrestling match scheduled for that day, for which he has a front-row ticket.

On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away

Hope pays his bail, and Ambrose returns home in time to request the afternoon off, falsely claiming that Cordelia has died and that her funeral is that day. His story is misread by Malloy as a case of poisoning from tainted liquor, and Ambrose declines to correct the misunderstanding. Malloy lets him go, while his supervisor, Mr. Peabody, announces the news to the department so they can offer condolences and inform the press.

On his way to the wrestling venue, Ambrose encounters a string of mishaps: ticket policemen, a flat tire, and a close call with a train while chasing a runaway tire. Inside the arena, Claude had earlier stolen Ambrose’s ticket, and Ambrose is knocked down by a wrestler who is thrown out by his opponent. As spectators filter out, Claude catches a glimpse of Ambrose sprawled on the sidewalk and notices Ambrose’s secretary nearby, tending to him with concern.

Meanwhile, a flood of flowers, sympathy cards, and funeral wreaths pours into the Wolfinger home. Cordelia and Leona are baffled by the outpouring, and when they spot Cordelia’s obituary in the paper with the headline “Aged Woman Victim of Poisoned Alcohol,” they instantly blame Ambrose. He returns home to a harsh reception and confesses that he deceived his boss, but the rumor mill intensifies when Claude claims he saw Ambrose and the secretary “drunk in the gutter.” Ambrose, fed up with the mistreatment, knocks Claude unconscious and persuades his wife and mother-in-law to hide.

Hope’s quick thinking helps salvage the situation: she answers a call from Peabody and, with a clever bit of misdirection, reports that Ambrose has received a better offer from another company. After some bargaining, Ambrose is rehired with a substantial raise and four weeks of vacation. Leona, recognizing her feelings, stands up to her disagreeable mother and reaffirms her love for Ambrose.

The film closes with a celebratory, rain-slicked ride: Hope Wolfinger and Leona Wolfinger ride inside the new car beside Ambrose Wolfinger, while Claude Neselrode and Cordelia Neselrode share the open rumble seat as a heavy shower pours down, signaling a fresh start for the family and a return to a more harmonious family life.