Herbert Kalness (Guy Kibbee) is an opinionated man and a huge grouch, but his loving family puts up with him. Herbert is upset when daughter Alice (Patricia Ellis) becomes engaged to Andrew Goodrich (Phillip Reed). Andrew is a Harvard man, and Herbert hates stuffed shirts. After Herbert's rants ruin an engagement dinner for Alice, his wife Elizabeth (Aline MacMahon) decides to teach him a lesson. When Herbert brings some clients home to dinner, they get a big surprise.