- A big-time Texas wheeler-dealer (who's actually Ivy league-educated, but plays dumb) runs out of money, and goes to New York City to raise $1.2 million.
- Based in Midland, Texas, Henry Tyroon, with a highly analytical mind, is a wealthy and knowledgeable proverbial wheeler dealer who over the past several years has focused on oil speculation. He likes to play up that good ol' boy Texas stereotype arguably to take advantage of potential business associates underestimating him, although three of those true elderly Texas good ol' boys, Ray J., Jay R., and J.R., will do whatever to buy into whatever Henry's latest venture in knowing his winning streak. When Henry's latest oil wells come up dry, he is forced to head to the financial center of New York City to raise $1.2 million in capital from possible investors, investments and other financial deals. Knowing that he can only raise part of that money from his regular investors, he heads to the brokerage firm of Bear, Osgood and Whitby to look into a partnership concerning tax shelters. Uninterested in such, partner Bullard Bear instead assigns his only female security analyst Molly Thatcher to be Henry's broker, she one of the few female analysts working on Wall Street and who Bear has also assigned to head one of their long held and forgotten securities, Universal Widget. In reality unknown to Molly, Bear and Whitby have assigned her this file in knowing that Universal Widget is a proverbial dog in it long not having manufactured anything let alone useless widgets despite the company still being incorporated in Massachusetts. They need to fire one analyst, and despite she more competent than most of her male counterparts, Bear wants an excuse to fire her as the token woman whose firing would minimize internal talk. Bear even hopes that Molly may be able to unload their investment in the company to unwitting Henry. But Henry being Henry, he finds a way to make money off the endeavor when he and Molly discover the reason why Universal Widget is still incorporated despite not actively doing anything besides existing. This move by Henry and by association Molly only complicates matters, especially as they slowly move their relationship from purely professional to personal, something Henry had wanted upon first setting eyes on her, the reason he went along with Bear's proposal despite knowing full well its general uselessness to him professionally.—Huggo
- Henry J. Tyroon leaves Texas where his oil wells are drying up and arrives in New York with a lot of oil money to play with in the stock market. He meets stock analyst Molly Thatcher, whom he falls in love with. Molly tries to ignore the attention he lavishes on and keep the relationship strictly professional.
- "Wheeler-Dealer" Henry Tyroon comes to New York to raise more than a million dollars to finance a business scheme. He meets Molly Thatcher, a Wall Street stock analyst, whose boss, Bullard Bear, has assigned her to boost a stock (Universal Widget) that--though not to her knowledge--is apparently worthless. Molly's salary is an expense the firm can no longer afford, and they wish to be rid of her. Henry decides to help Molly with Universal Widget, maneuvering her boyfriend out of the way and dating her himself. Among the other side interests that Henry buys while in the city are a taxicab and driver, a chic restaurant, an art collection, and an abstract artist named Stanislas. In Massachusetts, Molly and Henry discover that Widgets went out of production in 1854, but they create an advertising campaign to promote the stock. They meet the Whipples, laconic New Englanders who own the hidden assets of Universal Widget, now a booming concern, and Henry strikes oil on Widget property. As Widget stock soars, a suspicious SEC investigates; and Henry, Molly, the Whipples, and assorted other characters are taken to court. Henry is revealed as a Yale man, not a Texan, and the Widget oil is discovered to stem from a pipeline. Molly, eased out of her job at this point, believes Henry responsible. A judge throws the confusing case out of court, ruling that the manipulation of Universal Widget is not against public interest. The Whipples own 48 percent, a group of Henry's Texas cronies own 48 percent, and Henry owns the controlling 4 percent of the stock. He sells his shares to the Whipples for the money he needs to support his business scheme, and he and Molly patch up their quarrel and decide to marry.
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