Percy and Ferdie #1

Percy and Ferdie are a pair of high-living society types who stop for a shoe shine and find themselves caught between their own pretensions and a sharp-witted shoeshine boy who's got them figured out. When the conversation turns to their supposed wealth and social standing, their elaborate tall tales about million-dollar deals and fancy tea parties collide hilariously with the simple reality of their wallets.

When Percy and Ferdie spot an opportunity to have some fun at a property showing, they decide to tag along—but their scheme to pose as potential renters takes an unexpected turn when the landlady's former cook shows up with stories of her own about the place.

Percy and Ferdie spot an attractive salesgirl at Tiffany's watch counter and decide to chat her up, but their flirtation takes a sharp turn when a watchful clerk accuses one of them of lifting a gentleman's expensive timepiece. What starts as a casual pickup attempt quickly becomes a matter of stolen goods and duty—though the real culprit might not be who the clerk thinks it is.

Percy and Ferdie agree to pick up a valise of hatching eggs from the train station and deliver them to Mr. Gotcush's house, but their errand takes an unexpected turn when the eggs begin to hatch at an inconvenient moment. As the boys find themselves unexpectedly presiding over a barnyard crisis in the middle of the city, chaos erupts in delightfully absurd fashion.

When Percy and Ferdie stuff their top hats with prizes to avoid removing them in front of ladies in an elevator, they set themselves up for an awkward encounter on the stairwell—one that puts their forgetfulness and lack of pockets to the test. This 1921 humor piece plays the comedy of manners against the pratfalls of two fellas trying to look sharp while hauling around more than their hands can handle.

Percy and Ferdie set out with high hopes for a deep sea fishing expedition aboard a yacht, expecting ocean breezes and adventure—but when the anchor gets stuck on the rising tide, their leisurely outing takes a turn toward disaster. As the situation spirals, the boys find themselves in genuine peril and scrambling to survive what was supposed to be a relaxing trip.

When a prospective boarder named Mr. Chubb arrives at Percy and Ferdie's home, their family scrambles to put on their best behavior and wholesome impression—especially once they learn he's a motor company demonstrator who might offer them rides. But as the evening's carefully planned social gathering gets underway, things quickly spiral into chaos that threatens to derail the whole arrangement.

Percy and Ferdie face eviction unless they can squeeze ten bucks out of their notoriously stingy boarder—but when they catch him in a compromising moment, they realize they've stumbled onto the perfect leverage. What starts as a desperate scheme to save their rent becomes a delicate game of keeping quiet, as long as the price is right.

When Percy and Ferdie try to impress their friend Hotbunn with a flashlight photograph from a fancy beefsteak dinner, things don't quite go according to plan—the picture tells a very different story than they'd hoped. This short 1921 humor piece plays up the gap between two friends' boasts and the awkward reality captured on film.

Percy and Ferdie encounter a prosperous-looking stranger on a park bench who becomes enchanted by their youth and makes them grand promises of wealth and power if they'll work under his guidance. The boys humor the old man's elaborate schemes—which include reimagining Central Park itself—but quickly decide he's lost his marbles and make their escape. A quick, sharp joke about spring fever and the gap between ambition and sense.

When Percy and Ferdie are left to mind Mrs. Pruhn's boarding house, they spot a quick way to turn a profit—renting out rooms to transient boarders at cash rates while the regular lodgers are away on vacation. As the two collect payment in advance from their motley crew of new tenants, they hatch a scheme to make their temporary windfall look even more impressive to the absent boarders back home.

Percy and Ferdie see a golden opportunity when their landlady Mrs. Pruhn takes a summer vacation—they'll rent out her rooms and pocket the profits. But when the police raid the boarding house looking for Bolsheviks, the two roomers find themselves in hot water trying to explain how they unknowingly leased the rooms to the wrong crowd. A rollicking 1921 romp about schemes gone sideways and the perils of playing landlord without permission.

When Percy and Ferdie land jobs at the shoe department, one of them can't resist flirting with the female customers—and the mix-up that follows lands both clerks in hot water with their boss. A lighthearted tale of workplace mishaps and crossed wires that proves even a simple sales transaction can go hilariously wrong.

Percy and Ferdie scheme to impress a stenographer while her boss is away, but their day on the curb quickly spirals into a comedy of miscommunication and misplaced priorities—from stock market wheeling-and-dealing to an unexpected encounter with a street vendor that deflates their grand plans. This 1921 humor piece captures the duo at their scrambling best, caught between ambition and the everyday absurdities that keep derailing them.

Percy and Ferdie plot to slip out early from a swanky party to dodge tipping the servants—but their scheme to catch a 5:10 train for a friend's hasty wedding at dawn hits a snag when they realize the time. A one-page romp from 1921 that proves even the best-laid plans of two penny-pinchers can unravel when the clock's working against them.

Percy scores theater box seats and invites Miss Dilpickle and a friend for the show, but his plans go awry when Mr. Hotbunn—the star boarder—mysteriously ends up in their box instead. When Percy and Ferdie discover their houseguest may have swapped the tickets, they're determined to get even, though not without complications.

Percy starts the new year determined to win over Gertie Kale by convincing her self-made father that he's a worthy suitor—proposing a bold business deal as proof of his ambition. When Mr. Kale decisively shuts down the scheme, Percy and Ferdie quickly pivot to easier romantic prospects for a night out instead.

Percy and Ferdie cook up a scheme to evict their stubborn roommate Hotbunn from the bathtub—by convincing him that fire is spreading to the house next door. When the ruse backfires and Hotbunn realizes the danger was a hoax, he turns the tables on the two pranksters with a claim that carries more weight than their scheming.

When Mrs. Lollypop seeks an affordable furnished room while her husband is away, Percy steers her toward Mrs. Pruhn's select boarding establishment—but a chance encounter at the door throws the whole arrangement into question. This 1921 humor piece plays out the awkward collision between Mrs. Pruhn's strict house rules and an unexpected complication that upends what seemed like a perfect solution.

Percy hatches a scheme to meet a young woman by tossing his hat over her garden fence and enlisting Ferdie's help to retrieve it—but his ploy doesn't quite go as planned when she sees through the ruse. It's a lighthearted bit of romantic scheming that proves trickier than the boys anticipated.

When the Flicker Film Company arranges to shoot educational footage at Mr. Wanacooper's department store, Percy and Ferdie claim that "pep" is their middle name—but when the cameras roll and undercover shoppers arrive, the two leisure-loving gentlemen discover that talking a good game and living up to it are two very different things. Will their reputation for taking life easy finally catch up with them?

Percy and Ferdie attempt a daring heist on Mrs. Pruhn's ice-chest, but their previous raids have taught her to be watchful—so they devise a cunning scheme to shift suspicion elsewhere. When fresh paint on the floor reveals telltale footprints, the evidence points to an unexpected culprit, and persistence pays off in the most satisfying way.

Percy and Ferdie jump at the chance to help out a film production short two restaurant extras, armed with nothing but their Newport summer theatrics and a willingness to wing it. What follows is a chaotic day on set where the pair tackle waiter duties, dramatic confrontations, and emotional reunion scenes with characteristically earnest enthusiasm. When the dust settles, they've earned themselves a cigar and an open invitation to catch the picture at the Frivolity Opera House.

Percy and Ferdie crash a fancy ball thrown by the Knights of the Mop & Broom Association, where Percy finds himself charmed by Miss Clementine during the grand march. The next day, the two pals can't shake the feeling they've seen her before—and when she reappears in an unexpected place, the mystery of her true identity starts to unravel.

When Percy and Ferdie convince Mrs. O'Ducats that one of them is a wealthy American millionaire fresh from Pittsburgh, they sweet-talk their way into high society—complete with an invitation to tea at her mansion and dreams of rubbing shoulders with the city's elite. But their scheme to infiltrate "the 400" hits a snag when reality comes knocking at an ungodly hour. A fast-paced humor romp that proves sometimes the con works a little too well.

Percy shows up at the home of Dorthy Millionbucks hoping to declare his affections after overhearing what he believes are tender words meant for him—only to discover that her endearments were actually directed at something far less romantic. It's a swift and icy comedown for our hopeful suitor in this 1921 humor tale.

Percy and Ferdie hatch a scheme to sneak into their landlady Mrs. Pruhn's kitchen and swipe some pies, but their midnight raid doesn't go quite as planned. This 1921 comedy delivers slapstick chaos when their hungry ambitions collide with Mrs. Pruhn's watchful eye.

Percy and Ferdie head to the fur department at the Vanity Fair to browse—or rather, to impress—the sales staff with talk of expensive wraps, but their window shopping takes an unexpected turn when the saleswoman gets a bit too interested in their personal circumstances. What starts as casual browsing becomes a comedy of manners as the two find themselves caught between admiring luxury goods and dodging some rather pointed questions.

Percy and Ferdie arrive at the train station to see off Miss Gotcush, but when a sleepy mix-up leaves them with her valise instead of their own, Percy ends up in a bewildering nighttime adventure. What follows is a comedy of confusion as the boys grapple with the consequences of the porter's mistake and Percy's unfortunate sleepwalking habit. "A Sad Tale of a Misdirected Valise" delivers the kind of slapstick hijinks that made 1921 humor comics such a joy.

Percy and Ferdie cook up a scheme to prove Percy isn't stingy—by having a friend publicly accuse him of being a tightwad, which Percy will "refute" by lighting his cigar with a phoney bill. But when the moment arrives and Percy reaches for his wallet, things don't go quite as planned in this 1921 humor tale.

Percy tries his hypnotic powers on Mr. Hotbunn to secure a loan, but his scheme backfires spectacularly when the landlady, Mrs. Pruhn, discovers his underhanded tactics and demands he return the money. What starts as a con game spirals into a chaotic scramble as Percy faces the consequences of exerting undue influence to get what he wants.

When a freshly wealthy Ricky Rickets arrives in town looking to invest his newfound fortune, he naturally seeks out a reputable financier—and Percy and Ferdie see the perfect opportunity to introduce him to Mr. Millionbucks. What starts as a promising social call quickly spirals into chaos when Ricky's enthusiasm and hard sell prove more than the irritable Mr. Millionbucks can stomach. As tempers flare and the dust literally flies, Percy and Ferdie are left wondering just what went wrong and whether they should have stayed out of it altogether.

Percy and Ferdie return home only to find themselves immediately caught in an awkward situation when a young woman makes a pointed comment about "fresh things"—leading to a misunderstanding with an authority figure who takes their innocent gesture the wrong way. This one-page gag plays up the boys' hapless timing and their struggle to talk their way out of trouble.

When Percy and Ferdie get caught in a treacherous undertow at the beach, a mysterious water nymph named Aphrodite proves herself to be far more than just a beautiful face—she's a skilled swimmer who knows how to handle an emergency. This 1921 humor tale showcases the two pals' misadventure in the surf and the capable heroine who may just steal the spotlight.

Percy and Ferdie get their shot in the silk department after a promotion from Mr. Meeks, ready to prove themselves with premium fabrics and high-end customers. When a well-dressed woman makes a substantial purchase and leaves with her goods, the boys' enthusiasm takes a sharp turn—a store detective uncovers a costly scheme that leaves their new opportunity hanging in the balance.

Percy reluctantly agrees to escort a shabby stray dog to the S.P.C.A. on behalf of Miss Millionbucks, only to discover the mutt is actually a prized show champion with an impressive pedigree—a revelation that doesn't stop the neighborhood from making jest of the bedraggled pup's appearance. When the dog escapes his carrier, Percy finds himself in hot water with a police officer who's spotted an unlicensed animal without proper restraint.

Percy and Ferdie stage an elaborate prank on some onlookers, pretending to be rival titans of finance locked in a cutthroat negotiation over a multi-million-dollar merger. Their heated verbal sparring and dramatic threats of financial ruin are pure theater—but the real reveal comes when the audience discovers what the self-styled "kings of finance" are actually up to when they think no one's watching.

Percy and Ferdie attempt to rally the residents of Mrs. Schultz's boarding house to petition for coal relief during a fuel shortage, hoping to improve conditions for everyone weathering the winter together. As the two friends work to build support for their cause, they discover just how tricky it can be to keep a group unified when everyone's comfort—and patience—is on the line.

Percy and Ferdie crash an elegant reception at the Fatwallits' by sneaking past the doorkeeper, only to find themselves caught up in a numbered drawing that pairs guests for dinner—with wildly unexpected results. When their presence is discovered, the two uninvited guests must navigate the chaos of the grand shuffle and hope to escape without being thrown out. A rollicking romp through high society gone hilariously wrong.