When his beloved daughter wants a pony, railroad man and perpetual drinker Jack Griffith (Jackie Gleason) buys her the entire circus. But when his wife leaves him and takes the children with her, he follows with the carnival in tow to win back their hearts. Along the way, the gregarious drunk falls in with other shenanigans yet always finds a way to come up smelling like roses. The lighthearted Academy Award-winning comedy co-stars Glynis Johns.