Set in the swinging late 1960s, THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW centers on the laugh-filled misadventures of longtime neighbors who become related when their children suddenly get married.
Emmy Award-Winning actress Eve Arden stars as Eve Hubbard, the sophisticated wife of straight-laced lawyer Herbert Hubbard. Comedienne Kaye Ballard plays Kaye Buell, the outspoken wife of bombastic television writer Roger Buell. The strong-willed mothers are determined to meddle in the lives of newlyweds Jerry and Suzie.
Kaye's grandmother comes from Italy for the kids' wedding, and since nobody has the heart to tell her it was a year ago, a formal wedding is staged, with Suzie finding out in mid-ceremony that she's pregnant.
Flashbacks show how the Hubbards and Buells met 22 years earlier, when Kaye and Roger moved in next door. With no lights, phone, or water, the Buells also had no worries – they just mooched off the Hubbards' facilities.
The joy of Suzie's pregnancy fades a bit when everyone realizes they'll soon be known as "Gramps" and "Granny." They take up jogging to feel young again. The foursome sings "You Make Me Feel So Young."
To keep peace, Jerry and Suzie frantically juggle gifts purchased separately by their mothers – a basset hound and a Yorkshire terrier. Caught in the confusion is a bewildered animal inspector.
On the sly, the in-laws slip $40 into Jerry's old jacket for the couple's anniversary celebration. Unaware, Suzie donates the coat to a thrift shop, sending the mothers on a spree to retrieve it.
Eve and Kaye tackle the care and feeding of a motley menagerie when they take over for Suzie, who has become a pet-sitter for extra money. Problems increase rapidly, as most of the critters are expecting.