Plot

Elviry Weaver is overcome with emotion when her husband Abner throws a party to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, but manages to enjoy the festivities with their children, Carol, Johnny and Violey, and Abner's brother Cicero. Cicero keeps an eye on his beloved horse Susie while Carol dances with her fiance, Dr. Ed. Suddenly, a cyclone hits, forcing the party-goers to run for the cellar. Later, when they emerge, they discover that everyone's farms have been demolished. The only thing left standing on the Weavers' property is the old stone chimney, which they tear down for building materials. Secreted inside the chimney they find an old metal box, which contains a promissory note, dated 15 Dec 1777, stating that one of Abner's ancestors loaned £50,000 to the United States. Abner figures that the loan, worth approximately $200,000, should be paid by the current government, and the townsfolk chip in the money to send the Weavers to Washington, D.C. to investigate. After the family settles in an auto camp, Abner begins the process of obtaining an appointment with Senator Marvin. Abner tricks Holbrook, Marvin's secretary, into giving him the senator's home address, and although Marvin states that the document has expired, he promises to investigate it as soon as possible. Marvin asks Holbrook to look into the matter promptly, but Holbrook, who is annoyed that Abner outwitted him, misdirects the document and creates a mountain of red tape to cover it up. As time passes, the Weavers run out of money, but Johnny finds a job, while Abner and Cicero continue to look for work. Holbrook finally sends the note to the proper authorities, who verify that it is self-renewing and therefore has not expired. They also discover that with 6% interest compounded semi-annually, the Weavers are now owed millions of dollars by the government. Marvin's assistant, Paul Conrad, who has been trying to date Carol, finds out about the interest, and, without telling anyone, convinces Abner to sell the note for $160,000. Conrad also needs Cicero's signature, and when Cicero finds out about the offer, he rushes off to rescue Susie from the glue factory, where he sent her in order to buy food for the family. When Cicero returns with Susie, he is stopped from signing the document over to Conrad by the arrival of two reporters, who tell the Weavers that they are now the richest family in the world. Conrad claims that he did not know about the situation, and Carol accepts his excuses, although Abner is suspicious. As the next few weeks pass, the government tries to figure out what to do about the note, and the Weavers, overwhelmed by their new wealth, become immersed in a world of polo, fancy cars, parties, society blue-bloods and nightclubs. Only Abner remains unaffected and is distraught to see his family forget their friends back home. Hoping to obtain the fortune, Conrad asks Carol to marry him, much to Abner's dismay. Abner's unhappiness increases when he receives an angry letter from his hometown friends, who wonder why the Weavers have not returned to help them. Determined to save his family from themselves, Abner spreads a rumor that the loan will not be repaid, and that the Weavers are broke. Johnny, Cicero and Elviry are shocked at how quickly their society friends reject them, but Abner happily welcomes them back. Carol, who has learned that Conrad is a fortune hunter, is thrilled when Dr. Ed comes to visit, and Violey also reconciles with her truck driving beau, Bill Jackson, with whom she had broken up due to his blue collar job. With the family reunited, Abner reveals that the note is still good, but, in order to keep the government from going bankrupt, he requests that only the original $200,000 be repaid. With the money in their pockets, the contented Weavers return home to rebuild their community.