Love on a Budget
Cast & Crew
Herbert I. Leeds
Jed Prouty
Shirley Deane
Spring Byington
Russell Gleason
Kenneth Howell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Florist Herbert Thompson and his wife Bonnie, the daughter of mayor John Jones, arrive home from their honeymoon and move into a small cottage to begin their married life. Unfortunately the couple has spent most of their money on home improvements and have nothing left for furnishing the house properly. Herbert holds a number of government bonds, but he has no desire to cash them in despite Bonnie's arguments in favor of furnishings. Bonnie leaves in a huff, declaring that they will live in her parents' home until the cottage is furnished. Slick, yet gregarious Uncle Charlie shows up, seeking to "visit with the family" for an undeterminate amount of time. Uncle Charlie tells Herbert that he has control of the games concession at the upcoming agricultural fair, and he offers to cut Herbert in on the deal and thereby alleviate his financial problems. Charlie has a huge shipment of prizes delivered to Herbert's flower shop C.O.D., which Herbert reluctantly pays for. Herbert makes a bid on the floral arrangements for the fair, but when Emery Fisher, in charge of the fair, finds out that Herbert is involved with Charlie, he refuses not only Herbert's bid, but promises that Charlie will not get the games concession. Herbert's worries increase, but Uncle Charlie plows on, convincing the lad to finance the show at an alternate location, the Crystal Palace. Charlie then works his magic on Bonnie, convincing her to furnish the new cottage on credit. Herbert has the furniture taken back, and Bonnie leaves for home once again. Uncle Charlie takes Herbert to a dance hall to relax him, and Herbert ends up dancing with Millie Brown, his assistant at the flower shop. On the way home, the frustrated Herbert throws a rock through the furniture store window, and he and Uncle Charlie end up in jail for the night. Uncle Charlie convinces Jones to condemn the current site of the fair, the Pioneer Hall, as a firetrap, forcing the fair to be held at the Crystal Palace, which Herbert has rented out. Fisher finds out about the whole deal and accuses Jones of nepotism. As it turns out, the Pioneer Hall is a firetrap. The boilers blow and a raging fire breaks out. Herbert mistakenly thinks that Bonnie is in the hall and rushes in to save her. He saves Fisher's daughter Betty instead, and Bonnie, hearing that Herbert is injured, forgives him. Fisher is grateful to Herbert, and now the fair must be held in the Crystal Palace. The newlyweds finally get new furniture for their cottage, and all is well for the couple.
Director
Herbert I. Leeds
Cast
Jed Prouty
Shirley Deane
Spring Byington
Russell Gleason
Kenneth Howell
George Ernest
June Carlson
Florence Roberts
Billy Mahan
Alan Dinehart
Dixie Dunbar
Marvin Stephens
Paul Harvey
Joyce Compton
Raymond Brown
John Sheehan
Arthur Hoyt
Edward Gargan
Heinie Conklin
Edward Keane
Eddie Dunn
Edwin Stanley
George Guhl
Pat O'malley
Tom Dempsey
James Blaine
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The plot summary was based on a screen continuity in the Twentieth Century-Fox Produced Scripts Collection at the UCLA Theater Arts Library. This was the first film as a director for Herbert I. Leeds, who earlier as an editor and producer, used his real name, Herbert "Bert" Levy. For information on the Jones Family series, please see the entry above for Every Saturday Night and consult the Series Index.
