there seem to be certain rule about madcap comedy in the 1930s . it have to center around the idle rich and newspaper frequently play an important part in the story line . oh yes and and walter connolly have to be the rich millionaire father who be bedevil by the antic of the people around him and be they his daughter ( claudette colbert in it happen one night and myrna loy in broadway bill and libel lady and or olivia de haviland in the current film and fours a crowd . somehow when frank capra use him connolly be treat with more respect than in the other film . in it happen one night he be the wise man who saw through the fortune hunt airplane pilot and push his daughter into the hand of clark gable . but in libeled lady he be a man who be easily impress by a conniver claim at be a trout fisherman . in four a crowd he the nation richest man and who have a secret passion that be silly in it way than trout fishing ( which and after all and be exercise ) . connolly be john dillingwell and who be a very private millionaire who do not care about public relation . his daughter be olivia de haviland and who be currently be romance by newspaper owner patrick knowles . knowles ace reporter be rosalind russell and whose boyfriend be errol flynn . flynn run a public relation firm and and would love a chance to have connolly a a client . the film follow how flynn try to land this account and and use knowles newspaper to ensnare connolly . in the background of this comedy be an actual transformation . in the 1900s the most hated figure in american business be our rich man and john d. rockefeller . the business savvy tie to trick and chicanery use by rockefeller to build up standard oil to control 90 % of the oil refining in the u. s. be do at the expense of countless rival drive to bankruptcy . ida tarbell history of the standard oil company be one of the great ( if not fully trustworthy ) muckrake book of the progressive era . john d. rockefeller be fully hat . then and about 1910 and rockefeller hired publicist ivy lee to figure out how to get rid of this bad image . lee be a genius about advertising . he convince rockefeller to get involve with turn a huge portion of his fortune into charity . this eventually lead to rockefeller university and the rockefeller foundation and medical charity and work at restore the colonial town of williamsburg ( and the cloister in upper manhattan ) . it also lead to lee interesting suggestion to turn the elderly rockefeller into a lovable old codger by give dimes away a gift or tip to stranger . and it work . by the time rockefeller die in 1937 ( at the age of 97 ) he have become a well liked figure to the american public . flynn us bad publicity story to make connolly so disliked that street child thrown stone at him . he also use knowles newspaper to print anti connolly article ( which threaten knowels romance with de haviland . then at one point he call connolly to offer his service . connolly respond and i would be glad to accept your offer . when bananas grow at the north pole . since global warming be not happen in 1938 and this portend no business contract . instead and flynn us knowles to get flynn an introduction to da haviland . and in visit her and flynn find the key to connolly heart represent he and his servant melville cooper have one of the most elaborate toy train set in america . flynn challenge connolly to a contest between his train and connolly favorite one . and surreptitiously sabotage connolly train traction ability . a the relationship between loy and powell and tracy and and harlow in libeled lady get twisty ( to say the least ) and in this film a similar growth of jealousy and confusion render relation between flynn and russell and de haviland and and knowles equally confuse at the end especially when all four end up at justice of the peace hugh herbert to get marry . the result be four voice in disharmony speaking at once and join by herbert ( for once not say woo woo a he clap his hand ) try to read through the marriage service once . it be not a great comedy and but it be amuse and and most people will like it .