The Jones Family in Big Business
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frank R. Strayer
Jed Prouty
Shirley Deane
Spring Byington
Russell Gleason
Kenneth Howell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Florist Herbert Thompson is engaged to Bonnie Jones, but he won't set a date until he is in better financial shape. Bonnie is frustrated with the delays and his conservative attitudes, and she becomes interested in former college football hero, Ted Hewett, when he returns to town. Hewett is invited to the Jones's, and he offers to buy Granny's old Eureka oil stock certificates for double what they are worth. She refuses to sell, however, and word of the potential for the stock spreads. Hewett, in actuality, has returned to town with his partner, Leland Whitney, to set up a stock swindle and plans to use Eureka stock as the bait. The price of the stock climbs as everyone in town calls on druggist John Jones to get in on the deal. Unknown to the swindlers, the company really does begin to drill for oil, and as the stock prices rise legitimately, they can no longer get stock to meet the demand. The partners decide to buy land near the drilling site, and they set up their own drilling company headed by Jones, which will leave them in the clear with the stockholders whatever happens. Granny is suspicious of the financial dealings when Jones decides to mortgage the drugstore to invest in the new drilling company, and she asks Herbert to find out what's really going on. As Herbert continues to resist the oil deals, Bonnie finally breaks their engagement. He has decided to back Bonnie's brother Jack's invention of a supercharger for engines. Jack's little brother Roger has applied for a patent, and they are ready to sell the invention. While the boys demonstrate the supercharger to Mr. Rodney, the swindlers prepare the final papers for the new oil company. An informant from the Eureka well calls them when the well is a failure. To prevent the information from getting to the investors, Whitney has the phone lines cut. Herbert and the boys see the well come in dry, and with an outraged Mr. Rodney in tow, they return to town, arriving just in time to prevent the exchange of funds for the new corporation. As the investors blame Jones, Herbert arranges for the payment for the supercharger to be in stocks to be given to the investors. Herbert redeems himself when he punches Hewett, and he then asks Bonnie to marry him.
Director
Frank R. Strayer
Cast
Jed Prouty
Shirley Deane
Spring Byington
Russell Gleason
Kenneth Howell
Allan Lane
George Ernest
June Carlson
Florence Roberts
Billy Mahan
Marjorie Weaver
Frank Conroy
Wallis Clark
Crew
S. C. Chapman
Al De Gaetano
Eleanor De Lamater
William Eckhardt
Robert Ellis
Ron Ferguson
Max Golden
Chester Gore
Herschel
Samuel Kaylin
Harry M. Leonard
Helen Logan
Edward Snyder
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film was also known as Big Business. For information on the Jones Family series, please see the entry below for Every Saturday Night.
