Academy Award-winner
Robert Benchley introduces the film, explaining that “the front office” has charged him with explaining the plot “and other vague portions of the film.” Sal and Chester Hooton, an old married couple, are visited by their equally old friend Duke Johnson, and the three reminisce about their previous adventure in the Klondike. The film flashes back to the turn of the century. Hooton and Johnson are doing a variety act as "Prof Zambini and Ghost-O". Their trick cons people out of money and they run when the hall is raided by the police. They escape and Johnson wants to head for
Alaska. Hooton wants to go to New York. They part at the embarkation quay, but Johnson cheats Hooton out of money and when he runs back to challenge him he gets stuck on the ship going to Alaska. They have to work for their passage. While doing housekeeping duties in a cabin, Chester finds a map to a gold mine. McGurk and Sperry enter behind them, but Duke and Chester overpower the thugs and take their place (and their beards) to get off the boat. Meanwhile, in Alaska, Sal van Hoyden goes to see the owner of the Last Chance dance hall, Ace Larson. She has a story of a map of a gold mine stolen by two men: McGurk and Sperry. Instead of going to the police, Larson assures Sal that he will take care of things. He gives her a job performing in his saloon, an act which infuriates Larson's girlfriend, Kate. Larson tells Kate how he really plans to take Sal's gold mine for the two of them and passionately kisses her. Arriving in Alaska, Chester and Duke find that the entire town is terrified of their personas. They see Sal's singing routine and are both instantly smitten. Sal plays up to both of them in turn: first Chester, then Duke. She invites each to her room at midnight. She doubts they are the real killers, but Ace's lackey, Lebec, reminds her to get the map at all costs. Chester and Duke argue over who gets to hold the map and decide to tear it in half and each man keep his for safekeeping. Duke and Chester manage to escape by dog sled; initially pulling the sled themselves with the large dog they found acting as passenger. En route, they meet Santa Claus on his sled going in the opposite direction. They find Kate in the snow, who is lying there as part of a ruse, and Sal runs into them while riding her own dog sled. Kate has access to a cabin nearby, and all four stay together there. She chats up first Chester, then Duke, to establish where the map is. Duke confesses he is not McGurk. Sal, now realizing how much she loves Duke, refuses to go along with the plan. But Kate warns her that only Ace can keep them from being killed and the only way to get to him is to give up the map. Sal reluctantly agrees to steal the map while the men sleep, and does so. The two girls leave the next morning with Lebec. Duke and Chester are confronted by the real McGurk and Sperry and they realize the girls had stolen the map. They still manage to escape and, after a merry chase through the mountains, head back to town. They readopt their McGurk and Sperry personas but are distressed to find the latter are likely to be hanged. They scare off the posse with a stick of dynamite and rescue Sal who is tied in a back room. They leave the lit dynamite in a candlestick just as the real McGurk and Sperry arrive, and they get blown up while the three escape. They escape by dog sled, but the sled overturns. The ice splits with Duke and Chester each having one leg on each side as the gap widens. Eventually, this leaves Sal and Chester on opposite sides, with Duke on the side of the mob. He throws the map, wishes them well, and turns to face the mob. The movie flashes forward into the film's present, with aged Duke telling Sal and Chester how he escaped the mob. He is then surprised to hear that Chester and Sal have a son. They call for him, and he bears a striking resemblance to Duke. Chester looks into the camera and says, "We adopted him." ==Cast==