Hapless artist George Finch is head over heels in love with the sublime Molly Waddington who enthusiastically returns the sentiment. However Molly's disapproving stepmother would rather marry Molly off to someone with a lot more class. With the dubious help of his know-it-all friend Molly's would-be cowboy father a policeman who aspires to be a poet a reformed crook a fortune teller and a femme-fatale pickpocket George launches a series of hilarious schemes to make his dream of marrying Molly come true.