Plot
Dixie Dugan (Alice White), the vivacious and self-assured daughter of the working-class Dugan family, lives by her personal motto: "look hot but keep cool." She dreams of making it big on the stage and refuses to let love distract her from her goal.
Among her persistent suitors are Denny Kerrigan (Lee Moran), a perky motto salesman who lives and breathes inspirational slogans, and Jimmy Doyle (Charles Delaney), a sharp-tongued, streetwise reporter for the Evening Tabloid. Both men vie for her attention, but Dixie is focused on fame, not romance.
When Dixie hears that producers Eppus (Hugh Roman) and Kibbitzer (Bernard Randall) are casting a new revue, she barges into their office. There, she encounters Jack Milton (Richard Tucker), a wealthy older man—a “sugar daddy” type—who is also angling to impress the producers. Using a clever ruse, Dixie sneaks into their meeting and shows off her charms in a daring one-piece bathing suit. The producers are impressed but advise her to gain experience in a nightclub first.
Milton offers to get her a job performing at the Jollity Club, and Dixie quickly proves she has star power. She sings, dances, and shares the spotlight with Alvarez Romano (Donald Reed), a passionate performer from Chile who becomes romantically smitten with her. When Denny visits her at the club reciting a cascade of mottos, Dixie brushes him off. She also rebuffs Alvarez’s advances and later accepts an invitation to Milton’s apartment for champagne and lobster—but firmly rejects any inappropriate behavior.
After a few drinks, the mood turns dangerous when Alvarez bursts in, overcome with jealousy, and stabs Milton with a knife before fleeing the scene. Milton survives, and Dixie faints from the shock. Questioned by police, she’s soon swept into the media frenzy as Jimmy Doyle turns her ordeal into sensational tabloid copy, selling her life story to the Evening Tabloid.
Back home in Brooklyn, the Dugans react to the scandal: Mr. Dugan (James Finlayson) believes the publicity will help Dixie’s career, while Mrs. Dugan (Kate Price) is convinced her daughter’s life is ruined. Meanwhile, Dixie is abducted by Alvarez. In a stroke of fate, a car accident helps her escape—and she lands directly in Jimmy’s arms. Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy convinces her to stay “kidnapped” to boost the story’s publicity, resulting in a media sensation.
Later, when Milton finds Dixie and learns the truth, she confesses the stunt. Rather than express outrage, Milton agrees to finance a Broadway show Jimmy has written for her. Eppus and Kibbitzer produce it—though it’s radically different from Jimmy’s original script. This sparks a major quarrel between Jimmy and Dixie.
The show goes into grueling rehearsals and finally opens. Dixie is a triumph, but she hears nothing from Jimmy. Alone despite her success, she wonders what it was all for. At last, Jimmy returns, they reconcile, and marry—ready to face the chaos of Broadway together, this time as partners in both show business and life.
