Dwight Dawson, who runs an unsuccessful success school, stages a contest to find the biggest failure in the USA, for publicity value when the "dope" takes his course. But winner Tad Page is contented with his idle, lazy life and threatens to convert Dawson's other students to his philosophy. Dawson captalizes on Tad's attraction to Claire Harris to win him over; but will Tad find out Claire is really engaged to Dawson?

Henry Fonda
as Thadeus Winship 'Tad' Page

Lynn Bari
as Claire Harris

Don Ameche
as Dwight Dawson

Edward Everett Horton
as Horace Hunter

George Barbier
as James Roger Barker

Frank Orth
as Messenger

Roseanne Murray
as Dawson's Secretary

Marietta Canty
as Jenny

Hobart Cavanaugh
as Albert Gowdy

Hal K. Dawson
as Charlie
CinemaSerf
Don Ameche ("Dawson") and Lynn Bari ("Claire") concoct a scheme to open a school to teach the naive and the gullible how to be successful. Their first mark turns out to be "Tad" (Henry Fonda) who enters their competition to win $50 and a free course. He's not so fussed about the course, but his two ...