Vivienne Osborne,Bernard Nedell,Dick Wessel 1940 "Whiskers," the timid book reviewer on a metropolitan daily newspaper is fired, along with the switchboard-operator, Lucy Walters, his girlfriend. They agree to meet for dinner to discuss a book "Whiskers" is writing. Deciding to change his appearance as well as his ways, "Whiskers" has his beard shaved off at a barber shop. As he is leaving, he notices people shrinking from him in fear - without his whiskers he is the exact image of "Brute" Hanson, a gang-leader just released from prison. He runs into "Dude" Heath, a Hanson henchman, and when he fails to recognize him, "Dude" thinks he has gone stir-crazy. "Dude" telephones Maxine Carewe, Hanson's sweetheart. Henchmen "Dude," Maxie and "Dopey" kidnap "Whiskers". He is knocked out and awakens in Maxine's apartment clad in pajamas..