The Wienie King

The Wienie King is an elderly millionaire in The Palm Beach Story. The king is a a sausage magnate, whose most notable achievement is inventing the Texas Wienie (though he advises people to "lay off 'em.... you'll live longer.") The secret to his success is knowing where to get the meat cheap. He also displays an unexpected poetic side, reciting eloquently about the ravages of age which consign the joys of youth to memory, a passage which he boasts is "hard to say with false teeth."

The Wienie King, hard of hearing, cantankerous, and walking with the aid of a large stick (which can double as a blunt instrument if necessary), effectively serves as a deus ex machina, a fairy godfather in an oversized hat. He accompanies his bossy wife to tour the apartment belonging to Tom and Geraldine, as the apartment manager confidently expects to evict them for non-payment. The old man barks at his wife and the manager (whom he dubs a "varmint") and pokes around, finally discovering Gerry hiding behind the bath curtains. Gerry is initially taken aback, but the Wienie King is impressed by the gal with the "nice figger", and aware of her plight, generously offers her enough cash to pay the rent, and buy some new clothes as well.

Subsequently, after Gerry has left Tom (not least due to an argument over the hot dog humanitarian's bounty), the Wienie King returns, having instead moved into the apartment next door. After considerable misunderstanding, and accusing Tom of failing to provide for his spouse, the Wienie King again comes through, suggesting that Tom take an "arie-o-plane" to beat his wife to Palm Beach and greet her with a bouquet of roses, and supplies him with the plane fare.