Laurel and Hardy, partners in a barbershop venture, encounter a classified advertisement in the newspaper placed by a wealthy widow seeking a new spouse. Initially, only Stan intends to respond to the ad, yet upon confiding his intentions to Ollie, both agree to vie for the widow's affections. This agreement, sealed with a handshake and Ollie's declaration of "May the best man win," is tainted by Ollie's deceitful act of withholding Stan's response and submitting only his own.

Upon being invited to the widow's opulent mansion, Laurel discovers Ollie's subterfuge and insists on accompanying him, demanding an equitable share of any potential gains. At the mansion, they encounter a peculiar butler named Jitters, whose eccentric behavior and warning of the widow's murderous inclinations unsettle the duo. Stan and Ollie find themselves confined to an upstairs room by the widow and her butler, with ominous implications regarding their safety.

In a bid to stave off slumber and evade potential danger, Ollie devises a whimsical mechanism, employing a gold-coated brick and a candle to keep Stan awake. However, their efforts yield mishaps, including inadvertent injury and the eventual incapacitation of Ollie.

As the threat of the knife-wielding widow looms, Stan's desperate attempt to arm himself culminates in a chaotic climax. Stan and Ollie then abruptly find themselves back at their barbershop, with Ollie bewilderedly recounting a nightmarish dream.

• Stan Laurel as Stanley
• Oliver Hardy as Ollie
• Mae Busch as Mrs. Fox, the widow
• Jack Barty as Jitters, the butler

• Oliver the Eighth at IMDb  
• Oliver the Eighth at AllMovie
• Oliver the Eighth at the TCM Movie Database