Colonel Jack Bixby owns the circus and lets Big Tim run it for him. For now, the Colonel is off to Africa and he is leaving his brother John take over; but he is to leave the circus alone. The circus is a pet project, but John decides he is heading for the circus first thing.
When John arrives, he is mistaken for his brother. No, he is John and he has his plans for the circus. John wants the money the circus owes or he is selling the show. John is taking over the circus and he is sharing Pete's wagon. Big Tim hopes to make John Bixby so uncomfortable that he returns home. John is a bit of a hypochondriac and Tim hopes to make use of that.
Next morning, Mr. Bixby is a little disorganized but he intends to stay until he gets the circus on a money-making basis. Mr. Bixby wants the food supply cut in half for people and animals, plus he wants a number of the men fired. After a night of traveling through a storm, everyone believes Mr. Bixby must be exhausted. Turns out the one sick is Pete. And the circus is actually making money. Mr. Bixby has stopped taking all his pills and is beginning to have an appetite for real food.
But during a performance, the lions attack their trainer because they're starving. Big Tim decides to cancel Mr. Bixby's orders and feed his Big Cats. Next the elephants break loose looking for food and there aren't enough handlers to hold them back. Then a cyclone tears the big tent apart because there wasn't a crew. Thank god Colonel Jack shows up. Corky has been writing the Colonel every day. The Colonel says not to worry, he will make up the cost that his brother ran up. But Mr. Bixby say he has learned his lesson. The Colonel can stay behind and run the business, he's off to Africa to have some fun.
When John arrives, he is mistaken for his brother. No, he is John and he has his plans for the circus. John wants the money the circus owes or he is selling the show. John is taking over the circus and he is sharing Pete's wagon. Big Tim hopes to make John Bixby so uncomfortable that he returns home. John is a bit of a hypochondriac and Tim hopes to make use of that.
Next morning, Mr. Bixby is a little disorganized but he intends to stay until he gets the circus on a money-making basis. Mr. Bixby wants the food supply cut in half for people and animals, plus he wants a number of the men fired. After a night of traveling through a storm, everyone believes Mr. Bixby must be exhausted. Turns out the one sick is Pete. And the circus is actually making money. Mr. Bixby has stopped taking all his pills and is beginning to have an appetite for real food.
But during a performance, the lions attack their trainer because they're starving. Big Tim decides to cancel Mr. Bixby's orders and feed his Big Cats. Next the elephants break loose looking for food and there aren't enough handlers to hold them back. Then a cyclone tears the big tent apart because there wasn't a crew. Thank god Colonel Jack shows up. Corky has been writing the Colonel every day. The Colonel says not to worry, he will make up the cost that his brother ran up. But Mr. Bixby say he has learned his lesson. The Colonel can stay behind and run the business, he's off to Africa to have some fun.
