In this 1928 silent comedy short, Stan and Ollie actually have paying jobs, and wives who insist on receiving ALL of their salary every time. Judging by the screenplay, the wives clearly have their husbands on too short a leash, causing them to rebel on the sneak, as they go to a restaurant and pick up 2 youngish women who have been left with the bill for 4 to pay, after their escorts were thrown out for having no money. The boys assure them that this won't happen with them, not realizing that Stan's wife had found his secret hiding place where he stashed a little bit each payday. Ollie's wife had also discovered his hiding place, so he also had no money. When it came time to pay for dinner with the girls, Stan discovered his wife had left him only worthless coupons in his wallet. They can't even pay the taxi driver who brought them to the restaurant, so invite him also to share in their dinner....... Stan does a lot of crying in the second half, after he realizes that he has no money. He is also the cause of 3 or 4 waiters falling on their faces, into the meals they were bringing. When the boys take their dates into the restaurant, Stan's date mysteriously slips at the door and falls backwards, Stan falling on top of her crosswise. Then, once they get into the restaurant, the same thing happens. "What are you, a wrestler" she exclaims ........The town busybody sees the boys pick up their dates, and hurries off to tell their wives, who accompany her back to the restaurant. Strangely, instead of making a beeline for the boys, and making a scene with their dates, they sit at a boothed table next to the kitchen., and don't even let on that they have seen the boys.
The boys finally notice them when they run from the waiter, who just discovered they had no money. They run to the kitchen, then through the opening to the wives' booth, crawling under the table and out, when they see who they are. They run back into the kitchen, followed by the manager and their wives. Hardy claims that Stan brought him here, instead of to the bowling alley, where they were supposed to go. After some hesitation, without speaking to defend himself, Stan picks up a squishy pie and throws it at Ollie, who ducks, so that Ollie's wife gets it in the face. Ollie retaliates by throwing a pie at Stan's wife, which hits its mark. Stan then throws some eggs at Ollie, but they hit the cook, instead, who retaliates. Soon the manager and a waiter who just arrived are also involved. The film ends on that note........Some reviewers believe that the food fight was an inappropriate way to end the film, but I'll bet the kids enjoy it, if they haven't seen too many pie fights recently........The 2 dates and the taxi driver disappear after the boys run for the kitchen. The food fight would have been even more interesting if they had participated! The ending does leave a bunch of loose ends, but apparently a better ending couldn't be designed........See it at You Tube.!