A foolish executive hires a biographer and gives a factory
worker a dress shop while his nephew falls in love with a bookkeeper.
Joe Cork (Jack Oakie) joins Colleen Reilly (Ruby Keeler) and
her father for breakfast and says he has business ideas. Logan
(Berton Churchill) and Donald Ames (Dick Powell) try to think
how they can keep Donald's foolish uncle Cedric Ames (Hugh Herbert)
preoccupied. Joe tells Cedric he wants to print his biography
and is hired as his assistant. Noggin (Hobart Cavanaugh) shows
Cedric his candy factory. Worker Minnie Hawkins (Joan Blondell)
complains she has to add nuts. Donald calls Logan from Chicago
and learns what his uncle has done.
Donald comes back and tells bookkeeper Colleen that her books
are sketchy. Cedric bought a dress shop for Minnie to manage;
but they are served with subpoenas, and resisting Joe and Cedric
are arrested. Colleen tells Donald that the fashion show was her
idea. He sings "I Don't Have to Dream Again." Then the
fashion models sing it. Colleen sings and tap dances with Paul
Gordon (Paul Draper). Donald tells Colleen that he is going to
close the shop, but she changes his mind. Joe says that Colleen
and he are engaged. Joe takes Minnie out to dinner, and they sing
"Boulevardier from the Bronx" and dance. Cedric calls
Minnie. Alicia Ames (Louise Fazenda) hears on radio that Cedric
is adopting Minnie and becomes hysterical. Joe tells Minnie he
loves her and plans their trip with Cedric to Europe. Donald comes
in and offers Minnie a trip around the world. Joe and Donald go
out to fight while Minnie gets a call from Cedric.
Donald with a black eye calls on Colleen and asks her to influence
Joe; but she says her engagement with Joe is off. Donald is happy
and kisses her. Joe learns he lost his job. In a park Donald sings
to Colleen "An Evening with You." Joe sues Donald for
taking away Colleen from him. Cedric blames his nephew Donald.
Cedric tells Minnie that everything has changed. She offers to
get Joe to drop the suit if she can be his daughter. Then Minnie
sues Cedric, whose lawyer Schuyler (Addison Richards) offers Minnie
and Joe $25,000 each to drop their cases; they sign. Schuyler
offers Colleen $10,000, and she agrees but does not want the money.
Logan suggests that Donald go to Europe with Cedric. Donald calls
Colleen to propose, but she says goodbye. She gets a deal using
her name. On the ship Colleen and Donald run into each other,
and both say they are trying to forget the other. Cedric picks
up a woman but meets his wife. Donald explains and asks to marry
Colleen. She sings "You Gotta Know How to Dance" and
dances with Paul; but Donald sings instead. In the final scene
Donald kisses Colleen.
The top executive is portrayed as a nincompoop in this
romantic musical that satirizes a gold-digger, who teams with
a con artist.