LooselybasedonKathrynForbes'book-Mama'sBankAccount-,thisfilmactuallycontainsricherdetailandmoreintricatecharacter-izations.Inturn-of-the-centurySanFrancisco,youngKatrinaHansenchroniclesepisodesoflifewithherextendedfamily,whocombinetraditionalNorwegianvalueswithmodernAmericanways.Sosuccessfulthatitbecameapopularradioshow,andthenaTVsitcom,bothwithBarbaraBelGeddesandIreneDunnefromthefilm.