Three on a Limb

Three on a Limb

Year: 1936

Runtime: 18 mins

Language: English

Director: Charles Lamont

Comedy

Scoutmaster Elmer Brown falls for a carhop at a drive‑in diner, but she’s engaged to a police officer. The officer hounds Elmer with traffic tickets, but the carhop sympathizes and runs off with him. She also fends off another suitor, Oscar, while her parents support opposite men. All three clash at a chaotic wedding where Elmer finally wins her hand.

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Three on a Limb (1936) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Three on a Limb (1936), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Elmer, a boy scout, Buster Keaton, stops for lunch at a roadside diner and falls in love with Molly, Lona Andre, the waitress, right away.

Molly’s fiancée, a traffic warden named Homer, Harold Goodwin, arrives and gives Elmer a ticket, but Molly Lona Andre allows Elmer to drive her home and while backing up he accidentally runs over Homer’s motorcycle.

Molly reveals her parents are trying to pressure her into marrying Homer but she is not in love with him.

Molly introduces her mother Fern Emmett and father John Ince to Elmer, and they instantly disapprove of him due to his appearance and outfit.

Molly’s father challenges Elmer’s scout skills by getting him to prove he can make a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

Elmer accidentally sets fire to Molly’s parents’ rug. He attempts to extinguish the fire with a hose but there is a knot in the tube which stops the water from coming out. Homer arrives and sees the knot, he unties it and is sprayed with the water from the hose.

As Elmer and Molly clean up the mess, Molly’s father tells Homer to propose to Molly immediately.

Elmer attempts to gain Molly’s father’s blessing to propose to Molly and is told to go and fetch a justice of the peace, however this is a ruse so that the justice can marry Molly and Homer instead.

Homer throws Elmer out of the house so he can marry Molly in peace.

Outside, Elmer saves a man named Oscar Grant Withers from his wife whom he was intending to leave for another woman.

In return Elmer asks for Oscar’s help putting a stop to the wedding.

However, when the two arrive at the wedding Oscar Grant Withers recognizes Molly as the woman he was going to leave his wife for.

Elmer, Oscar and Homer engage in a three-way scuffle, each attempting to marry Molly.

Eventually Oscar’s wife shows up and causes chaos in the house.

Elmer and Molly manage to sneak away with the justice of the peace and are finally married.

Last Updated: October 07, 2025 at 08:54

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