Byron Paul

Cuando Dios se le aparece a un subgerente de una tienda de comestibles como un anciano afable, el Todopoderoso lo selecciona como su mensajero para el mundo moderno.

Hollywood, finales de los años treinta. Tod Hackett, un joven pintor que intenta abrirse camino como director artístico en el escabroso mundo de la industria cinematográfica, se enamora de su vecina Faye Greener, una aspirante a actriz que prefiere la vida que Homer Simpson, un solitario contable, puede ofrecerle.

Tras un accidente de su avión, el teniente Robinson Crusoe (Dick Van Dyke) consigue saltar en paracaídas y tiempo después aparece inconsciente en una playa. El lugar parece estar desierto, por lo que hace todo lo posible por arreglárselas solo. Poco después encontrará un chimpancé y una bella nativa que, por un castigo, ha sido enviada a la isla para morir. El joven teniente decide entonces intentar protegerla.

A new boy, Harley, joins a club but shows an interest in the girl on whom the club leader has a crush. The two club members trick Harley into stealing a prize watermelon to the dismay of the furious farmer, and later dare him to enter a supposedly haunted house in which they uncover a bag of money stolen in a bank robbery.

An energetic newspaper copyboy in 1889 wants to become a reporter, and he is soon more deeply involved in his stories than he had expected. When he discovers a bank robbery, he helps the reporter, Brownie, to apprehend the four-fingered culprit. Later he helps the police chief who has been framed, and tries to convince the authorities that he has discovered a wanted felon in town.

Two playboys stumble drunkenly home, where the owner falls asleep and the other attacks the maid. The butler intervenes and a fight results in the death of the assailant. A French girl, escaping from a pimp who kidnapped her, witnesses the crime. The butler convinces his master he is the killer, and must flee. He joins the girl but is caught. She helps police expose the real killer by going undercover as another maid.