Plot

Roger Hudson, a wealthy businessman who has moved to Washington to work for the government as a "dollar a year man," is late for a radio broadcast about his new department, the Mobilization of Woman Power for War. He takes a cab driven by Dixie Dugan, who hopes that being a cabbie while the country's men are away fighting will help the war effort. Her incompetent driving, however, results in an accident for which Roger must take responsibility in order to reach the radio station in time. Dixie then returns home, where she lives with her father Timothy, who is constantly practicing his air raid warden duties, her mother Gladys, an aspiring Red Cross worker, and cousin Imogene, who studies incessantly to become a "quiz kid." The Dugans rent out their spare rooms to Dixie's fiance, Matt Hogan, and to blustering Judge J. J. Lawson. Matt, who works in a munitions factory, wants Dixie to settle down and marry him, but Dixie is determined to help her country. A few weeks previously, Dixie took a civil service exam and is thrilled when she finally receives an appointment. Unfortunately, the job is as secretary to Roger, who has never before had a woman secretary. Roger's dismay grows when he remembers Dixie from the car accident, but he is prevented from firing her because of her civil servant status. Roger's fiance, Jean Patterson, is jealous of Dixie, as Matt is of Roger, but the pair discover that they work well together. Pressure from Jean and Matt forces Roger to come up with a job that will take Dixie out of the office, and so he tells her to do a door-to-door survey of women to find out what would free them from family responsibilities and enable them to participate in more defense work. Although Dixie tackles her new task with much enthusiasm and writes a comprehensive report, Roger does not take her work seriously. Infuriated, Dixie accuses Roger of being a "woman-belittler" and a phony, then storms out of the office. Shamed into reading Dixie's report, Roger finds that it is filled with useful information and suggestions. Dixie refuses to return his calls, however, and Lawson takes advantage of the situation by setting up an interview for her with a newspaper editor who is out to ridicule Roger. While Lawson receives money for bringing in Dixie, Roger and his department are painted as money-draining wastes of time. After Dixie then negates the story and chastises Jean for her jealousy, Jean urges her father, Senator Ira Patterson, to discuss Dixie's report on his upcoming radio broadcast about the home-front. Dixie is hailed as a hero, while Lawson is arrested for draft evasion. Finally proud of Dixie's work, Matt listens with resignation as she accepts Roger's offer to accompany him to England to do survey of women there.