The wealthy Mrs. Virginia Delaware is at the Bergen Orphanage to choose a child to adopt. Dr. Bergen wants Mrs. Delaware to choose the troublesome Charlie McCarthy if only to get rid of him. Charlie on the other hand, doesn't want Mrs. Delaware to adopt him. The more Charlie tries to make a bad impression, the more the hard of hearing Mrs. Delaware, who mishears everything Charlies says, likes Charlie. But Charlie doesn't know what he may be missing if Mrs. Delaware doesn't adopt him.