Ruggles of Red Gap

1908. Married couple Egbert and Effie Floud are among the nouveau riche in the small but booming town of Red Gap, Washington. Egbert is a self-made millionaire in local resources and ranching, while Effie comes about her money through her mother, 'Ma' Pettingill, who struck oil. Egbert is a good old boy who likes to hang out and drink with his equally down home friends - rich or poor - which is much like Ma, while Effie, who wears the pants in the family, wants to be seen as socially and financially important, with all the trappings. The Flouds live in Ma's mansion, with Effie's equally snobbish sister and brother-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Bellknap-Jackson, who flaunt their wealth and self-importance. While vacationing in Paris, the Flouds meet British Lord, the Earl of Burnstead, and his manservant, Ruggles, who comes from a long line of gentlemen's gentlemen. In a drunken stupor, the Flouds "win" Ruggles in a poker game against the Earl. By the sober light of the next day, Egbert has no intention of collecting on the bet, while Effie has every intention of doing so, seeing the addition of Ruggles to their Red Gap lives, specifically as Egbert's manservant, as elevating their social standing. Egbert sees the addition of Ruggles to their lives solely as another drinking buddy with who to hang out. Beyond Ruggles being a fish out of water in Red Gap, he faces the struggle of whether Egbert or Effie is his ultimate master. Complications ensue when before Effie can make the official social announcement of Ruggles being Egbert's new manservant, the newspaper reports that he is actually the Floud's important house guest, British Colonel Marmaduke Ruggles, this misunderstanding based partly on Egbert referring to him in public colloquially and in friendship as colonel. Regardless, Ruggles may get a different perspective on life residing in the frontier of the proverbial land of the free.