While on a vacation cruise, the sanctimonious and niggardly Larry Wilson is knocked unconscious by an oar and awakens to find that he has been suffering from amnesia for nine years and that he is really George Carey, a slick confidence man. After a peek at his alter ego's bank balance, George decides to return as Larry to Habersville, Pennsylvania, in order to liquidate his bank accounts. Upon docking, George and his new friend, con man "Doc" Ryan, are met at the pier by Kay Wilson who, thinking that George is her husband Larry, demands a divorce on the grounds of boredom. When George learns that Larry's funds are under the control of the Community Chest and Anti-Vice crusade, he decides to switch tactics and run an oil scam on a vacant lot owned by Larry. After sending for his old partner in crime, Duke Sheldon, to "salt" the land, George realizes that he needs to keep the scandal of divorce at bay until he can complete his scam, and so promises to grant Kay her divorce in six weeks. Settling into Larry's life and house, George begins to court Kay, who is stunned at the change in her husband. After setting the bait for his trap, George sends his patrol of boy rangers to discover the oil, and soon the boys's fathers are knocking on Larry's door with offers to buy his land. However, George's plans go awry when Kay confesses that she loves him and he realizes that he loves her and wants to settle down permanently as Larry Wilson. When Duke refuses to call off the scam, George feigns amnesia. While Duke shepherds the town fathers off for the slaughter, George begins life over as Larry.