Forced to leave college to seek employment during Lyndon Johnson's presidency, Herbie Gneiss works at a toy factory until he is drafted, prompting a former co-worker who has fallen in love with Herbie's mother to rob a bank run by a man they believe to be a communist.

Taken hostage by a failed bank robber while attending an open house, eight anxiety-prone strangers--including a redemption-seeking bank director, two couples who would fix their marriages, and a plucky octogenarian--discover their unexpected common traits. "Viewing an apartment normally doesn't turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that: a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment...

Baby Frank is determined to have a pet, despite his parents' objections, but first he must get the money to take care of it.