At the turn of the twentieth century, British butler Marmaduke Ruggles (Laughton) is "lost" by his employer in a poker game to a nouveau riche couple, who promptly re-locate him to their home in Red Gap, Washington. While Ruggles strives to instill some culture in his new master, the influence flows in the other direction as Floud's (Ruggles) genial, relaxed and egalitarian nature begins to rub off on the stodgy butler. In the title role, Charles Laughton delivers a much-loved performance. This film announced the arrival of McCarey's mature style, ushering in the decade from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s during which he made eight of his best and most successful films.