A kind-hearted pizzeria owner confronts corporate greed, emotional betrayal, and an unexpected inheritance while preserving his values.
Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
An Unexpected Inheritance
Deeds leaves his quiet pizzeria life after being identified as the closest living relative of a deceased media owner. He enters New York's corporate world and meets Emilio, Cecil, and Cedar.
Key Events
Everest Death — A billionaire media owner freezes to death while climbing Mount Everest.
Location: Mount Everest
Heir Discovered — The board discovers that Deeds is the closest living relative and potential heir. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Chuck Cedar, Cecil AndersonLocation: Blake Media offices
Pizzeria Life — Deeds runs a pizzeria and writes greeting cards in his spare time. Characters: Longfellow DeedsLocation: Mandrake Falls pizzeria
Arrival In New York — Deeds meets Blake Media staff and learns that he may sell his shares for forty billion dollars. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Cecil Anderson, Emilio Lopez, Chuck CedarLocation: New York City
Emilio Befriends Deeds — The longtime butler quickly befriends Deeds and treats him with personal warmth. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Emilio LopezLocation: Blake residence
The False School Nurse
Babe invents the Pam Dawson identity and uses Marty to approach Deeds. Her assignment gradually becomes complicated by Deeds's sincerity and her own growing affection.
Key Events
Cedar Targets Company — Cedar despises Deeds and secretly plans to break up Blake Media. Characters: Chuck Cedar, Longfellow DeedsLocation: Blake Media offices
Purse Deception — Marty pretends to steal Babe's purse so Deeds can stage a rescue. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe Bennett, MartyLocation: New York City street
Pam Dawson Persona — Babe introduces herself to Deeds as the fictional school nurse Pam Dawson. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: New York City
Romance Begins — Deeds writes Babe a poem, and Babe begins developing genuine feelings for him. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: New York City
Winchestertonfieldville Trip — Deeds finds the real town and surprises Babe with a trip there. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: Winchestertonfieldville, Iowa
Betrayal Beneath Romance
Marty exposes Babe's identity, leaving Deeds heartbroken and ready to abandon New York. Crazy Eyes then reveals Cedar's plan to sell the company and dismiss thousands of workers.
Key Events
Babe Exposed — Marty informs Cedar, and Babe's false identity is exposed during dinner with Deeds. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe Bennett, Marty, Chuck CedarLocation: New York City restaurant
Deeds Leaves New York — Heartbroken Deeds plans to return home and asks to donate his money to the United Negro College Fund. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Cecil AndersonLocation: New York City
Crazy Eyes Warns Deeds — Crazy Eyes tells Deeds that Cedar plans to sell the company and lay off thousands. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Crazy EyesLocation: Mandrake Falls
The Frozen Lake
Babe follows Deeds to Mandrake Falls and tries to repair their relationship. Deeds saves her from drowning but still refuses her plea for forgiveness.
Key Events
Babe Follows Home — Babe follows Deeds home in an attempt to win back his trust. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: Mandrake Falls
Pizzeria Brawl — Babe becomes involved in a massive fight after Deeds's friend reacts angrily to her deception. Characters: Babe Bennett, Longfellow DeedsLocation: Mandrake Falls pizzeria
Frozen Lake Rescue — Babe falls through the ice, and Deeds breaks through it to save her from drowning. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: Frozen lake near Mandrake Falls
Deeds Rejects Forgiveness — Although Babe pleads for forgiveness, Deeds rejects her and she returns sadly to New York. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe BennettLocation: Frozen lake
The True Heir
Cedar attempts to force a sale through shareholder control, but Babe presents a diary that identifies Emilio as the true heir. Emilio removes Cedar and restores the balance of power.
Key Events
Shareholders Sell — Cedar persuades shareholders to sell until Deeds arrives and appeals to their conscience. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Chuck Cedar, Cecil AndersonLocation: Shareholders' meeting
Majority Control Revealed — Cedar reveals that he secretly controls a majority of the shares and overrules the shareholders. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Chuck Cedar, Cecil AndersonLocation: Shareholders' meeting
Diary Reveals True Heir — Babe presents the diary, revealing Emilio as the true heir to the controlling stake. Characters: Babe Bennett, Emilio Lopez, Longfellow Deeds, Chuck Cedar, Cecil AndersonLocation: Shareholders' meeting
Emilio Takes Control — Emilio takes control, fires Cedar and corrupt board members, and keeps Cecil with Deeds's approval. Characters: Emilio Lopez, Chuck Cedar, Cecil Anderson, Longfellow DeedsLocation: Blake Media offices
Farewell Gift — Emilio thanks Deeds and gives him one billion dollars as a farewell gift. Characters: Emilio Lopez, Longfellow DeedsLocation: Blake Media offices
Homecoming And Success — Deeds and Babe return home, his poem becomes a popular card, and Crazy Eyes crashes his Corvette. Characters: Longfellow Deeds, Babe Bennett, Crazy EyesLocation: Mandrake Falls pizzeria
Story Breakdown
The Inheritance Arrives — Deeds is pulled from Mandrake Falls into a vast corporate inheritance.
Everest Death — The media owner dies while climbing Mount Everest.
Heir Discovered — The board identifies Deeds as the closest living relative.
New York Power Struggle — Deeds enters Blake Media while Cedar prepares to exploit the company.
Staff Introductions — Deeds meets Cecil and Emilio in the corporate environment.
Cedar's Corporate Scheme — Cedar secretly seeks to break up the company.
Babe's Deception — Babe approaches Deeds under a false identity to obtain a sensational story.
Staged Purse Theft — Marty pretends to steal Babe's purse so Deeds will intervene.
Pam Dawson Persona — Babe claims to be a school nurse from Iowa.
Romance And Betrayal — Genuine affection grows until Babe's manipulation is publicly revealed.
Poem And Road Trip — Deeds writes a poem and takes Babe to the real Iowa town.
False Identity Exposed — Marty tells Cedar the truth, and Deeds learns about Babe's deception.
Return To Mandrake Falls — Deeds returns home, while Babe attempts to regain his trust.
Corporate Warning — Crazy Eyes warns Deeds about Cedar's planned sale and layoffs.
Frozen Lake Rescue — Deeds saves Babe from drowning but refuses to forgive her immediately.
The Heir Revealed — The shareholder crisis is overturned when Babe uncovers the evidence that changes ownership.
Cedar Takes The Vote — Cedar uses his hidden majority to overrule the shareholders.
Emilio Takes Control — The diary identifies Emilio as heir, allowing him to fire Cedar.
A New Homecoming — Deeds and Babe rebuild their relationship and return to a simpler life.
Farewell Billion — Emilio gives Deeds one billion dollars in thanks.
Greeting Card Success — Deeds's poem becomes a popular greeting card.
When Longfellow Deeds, a small-town pizzeria owner and poet, inherits $40 billion from his deceased uncle, he quickly begins rolling in a different kind of dough. Moving to the big city, Deeds finds himself besieged by opportunists all gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe, a television tabloid reporter, poses as an innocent small-town girl to do an exposé on Deeds.
