Some families are born wacky, some achieve wackiness and others have wackiness thrust upon them. The Wheeler family comes under all three headings. Mr Wheeler has ten million dollars and he’s not happy. He has a beautiful wife, his second and he’s not happy. He has a son and a daughter by his first wife and well he’s just not happy. Mrs Wheeler has a wonderful husband and everything that money can buy and she should be happy but her stepdaughter has a beautiful governess, Violet Pinney, who lives with them and the children and her husband confide in her so how can Mrs Wheeler be happy. The daughter 16 year old Cora Wheeler who’s in love and the son Bobbie Wheeler who can’t understand why he has been chucked out of school for playing a little crap game and who finds himself adoring Violet Pinney. Then along comes Clarence Smith a recently discharged soldier to do an odd job for Mr Wheeler and he ends up trying to sort the whole family out.

Author: Booth Tarkington