- The father of a young woman deals with the emotional pain of her getting married, along with the financial and organizational trouble of arranging the wedding.
- Proud father Stanley T. Banks (Spencer Tracy) remembers the day his daughter, Kay (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), got married. Starting when she announces her engagement through to the wedding itself, we learn of all the surprises and disasters along the way.—Col Needham <col@imdb.com>
- Kay Banks announces her engagement to Buckley Dunstan. Her parents, Stanley and Ellie Banks, are concerned because they haven't met him and Kay seems to be rushing into marriage. Stanley in particular seems determined to dislike his future son-in-law. Their first meeting is awkward but it is obvious the young couple are very much in love. Buckley meets with Stanley to go over his finances and life insurance, wanting to assure Kay's father that he can provide for her. But Stanley takes over the conversation and tells Buckley his life story.
The next step for Stanley and Ellie is to meet Buckley's parents, Herbert and Doris. They are in a higher income bracket than the Banks family. But Herbert and Stanley hit it off when they discover a mutual fondness for martinis. By the evening's end, Stanley has had too much to drink and embarrasses Ellie by his rambling conversation.
Ellie and Stanley give a party to announce their daughter's engagement. Stanley is in charge of the bar and has several trays of martinis waiting in the kitchen. After all their guests are served, he plans to call for silence and make a speech. But he can't get away from the kitchen. Everyone wants a different drink and he is kept busy. By the time he finally breaks free, the party is over and the guests are gone.
Kay and Buckley want a simple ceremony somewhere in the country but Ellie nixes that idea. She eloped with Stanley and didn't get to have a church wedding, so she is determined that Kay will have one. She and Stanley visit a caterer and are shocked at the cost of a wedding cake. So they decided to have simpler refreshments, which does not set well with the snobbish caterer.
The reception is to be held at the Banks home. The caterer and his assistant pay a visit and recommend a marquee connecting to the French doors. Ellie feels put down when she timidly mentions that they were planning to take up the rug. The caterer's assistant reminds her that taking up the rug won't give them any more space. He recommends doing what everyone else does; hire a moving van to take away the downstairs furniture and bring it back when the wedding is over.
Stanley tries on his tuxedo but it is a tight fit and rips when he raises his arms. Clearly he will have to get a new one. He is already panicking over how much the wedding is costing him. Kay and Ellie are shopping for a trousseau. Each dress must have a hat/handbag/shoes to match. Ellie hires a band to play dance music. After Kay gets upset when she is asked to cut the guest list, Stanley offers to give her and Buckley some money if they will elope. Kay is upset at the idea and so is Ellie. Stanley tries to smooth it over by saying he was just kidding.
The guest list is a sore spot with Stanley, who firmly announces that it must be cut. Ellie reminds him that they can't just invite some of their friends, it must be all or nothing. In the end Stanley gives in.
Gifts start to arrive and tables are set up to display them. Ellie's aunt sends a very ugly statuette, which causes a laugh until Kay returns home early from a date with Buckley. Dramatically she announces that the wedding is off and they can send back all the gifts. Stanley follows her to her room and gets the story. Kay was expecting to go somewhere glamorous for their honeymoon, but Buckley made reservations at a fishing camp. They quarreled and Kay jumped out of the car at a traffic light. When Buckley tried to grab her she slammed the door on his fingers.
Stanley assures her it is fine if she wants to call off the wedding, as all he and Ellie want is her happiness. He suggests she take a trip to Europe with some of her girlfriends. Just then Ellie announces that Buckley is downstairs. Kay won't see him so Stanley goes down. Buckley's hand is wrapped in a handkerchief. He is very remorseful, not having realized that he should have asked Kay where she wanted to go. Kay overhears him and flings herself into his arms. The wedding is back on.
The night of the rehearsal is rainy. Kay is late and announces that Buckley has to work. The church sexton organizes the wedding party into a quick run-through down the aisle. Then they start to leave. Stanley protests, saying that they need to rehearse more. But no one can stay.
Stanley dreams that he is drunk at the wedding and his clothes turn into rags. Kay screams as he makes his way down the aisle. He wakes up and goes to the kitchen for a snack. Kay is already there and they talk.
The morning of the wedding is total chaos. The florist gets in the way of the movers and hot words are exchanged. Stanley takes a call from Ellie's aunt, who is waiting at the train station. He tries to get someone to fetch her. The cars are late coming. But at last all is ready. Just as they are leaving for the church, Ellie's aunt calls again. Stanley tells her to take a taxi and he will reimburse her.
Kay has been a bridesmaid so many times that she knows exactly what to do. She and Stanley start down the aisle and the ceremony goes off without a hitch. But the Banks house is so full of people that Stanley can't find Kay. He is waylaid by various people and the newlyweds end up leaving without speaking to him. The furniture is returned and the house is an absolute mess. Ellie suggests that they clean up and not leave it for the maid. Then Kay calls. She and Buckley are at the New York train station but she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to her father. She tells him that she loves him and her mother very much. This cheers Stanley up and he starts a record so he and Ellie can dance.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content