Summary
In 'Nearly Rich', we witness a biting satire of the American dream through the lens of Charley, a perennial underdog working in a hostile corporate environment. The narrative follows Charley's daily struggle against a tyrannical boss who finds sadistic joy in Charley’s tardiness and general incompetence. When Charley attempts a gesture of sincere affection by offering a rose to the boss's secretary, he is met with cold rejection and the literal trashing of his sentiment. However, the discovery of a dead uncle and a supposed massive inheritance flips the social hierarchy on its head. The boss, once a predator, becomes a sycophant, funding a lavish lifestyle for Charley in anticipation of a windfall. The climax hinges on a bizarrely cruel will that distributes wealth based on physical weight, leaving the slight-framed Charley with nothing but a cuckoo clock. This object of mockery ultimately becomes the instrument of his salvation, revealing a hidden fortune in a moment of frustrated violence that finally grants Charley the upper hand over his oppressors.
Synopsis
Charley has a tough time getting to work, and when he arrives late, the boss gives him the razzberry. He presents the boss' secretary with a rose. The boss promptly throws it into the basket and incidentally, he has a half dozen flowers of his own to give to the girl, but they are smeared with ink. His face is blackened as a result. He is on the verge of firing the big fat boob when he receives a letter for Charley announcing that Charley's rich uncle is dead. The boss treats Charley most gloriously and sends him to a fine tailor and haberdasher. When the will is read, each relative is given a dollar for every pound he or she might weigh. Charley is given a cuckoo clock. The secretary gives him the go-bi. Then the trades people enter and take their clothes from him. The boss enters as Charley tosses the clock away. It hits the boss on the dome, and a shower of bills fall out. Charley then throws the boss out and collapses with joy.
