Dave Smalley buys a lost Archaeopteryx fossil by accident at an auction and uses the reward money for this to buy a share in his landlady's lodging- house. She turns him into an exploited man-of-all-work about the house, but after a lady guest persuades him that he resembles Napoleon he becomes convinced that he is a born leader and mounts a takeover bid to reverse their roles.

A soft-headed driver is recruited by a racketeer who thinks he's just the kind of mug he could put to good use...