Plot

A pair of sailors on leave try to help a movie extra become a singing star.

Joe and Clarence, two navy sailors who have a few days leave in Hollywood. All Joe wants to do is to have a good time and meet up with his girl, the unseen Lola. Clarence on the other hand just wants to get a girl. They soon meet a little boy who ran away from home and wants to join the navy. They take him home and soon meet his young and beautiful singer-wannabe aunt Susan. Clarence develops a crush on her, so he asks Joe to help him get Susan to like him. Soon Joe gets himself caught in between a promise to Susan to meet a big time music producer and trying to get Clarence ready for their date. The only problem is, Joe doesn't know the music producer and he's starting to fall in love with Susan himself. So what's a guy to do?—Taalli

For their heroic deeds while carrying out their duties aboard the USS Knoxville, naval seamen Joe Brady and Clarence Doolittle are awarded the Silver Star, presented to them at a ceremony aboard an aircraft carrier docked in San Diego with José Iturbi the guest conductor at the event. Also for their deeds, they and the rest of the Knoxville crew are granted a four day leave, their first leave in eight months. Joe, a ladies' man who doesn't want to be tied down to any one woman, plans to spend it in Hollywood with Lola Laverne, the type of woman who also does not want to be tied down to any one man. It isn't until Joe catches him following that he learns that less experienced Clarence also wants to spend it in Hollywood with him, for him to show him the ropes of picking up girls. Their Hollywood stay takes a detour when they are commandeered by the police who want them to assist in getting an infant boy home, he who ran away to join the navy. The boy is orphaned Donald Martin, whose father was a naval officer killed in battle, and who now lives with his single Aunt Susie, Susan Abbott. Susan works as a movie extra, but she really wants to become a singer in films, she not yet given a break. Upon meeting Susan, Clarence decides she is the girl he wants. Joe reluctantly helps Clarence as he himself tries to connect with Lola, which is more difficult than Joe had hoped. When Susan states that she'd love to work under Iturbi, Joe comes up with the idea that Clarence can impress her by saying that he has set up an audition for her with Iturbi. That may be a difficult task as they have not met with Iturbi, who probably does not even remember them. As Joe and Clarence get into one misadventure after another in trying to track down and meet Iturbi who is probably locked behind the walls of the movie studio, they and Susan get a clearer picture of what they want for their romantic lives, more specifically who.—Huggo

After eight months at sea, sailors Clarence Doolittle and Joseph Brady are granted a four-day shore leave in Hollywood, California. Joe, an incorrigible philanderer, plans to see one of his sweethearts while on leave, and later offers the shy and bookish Clarence advice on how to meet women. Clarence and Joe set out to find their shore leave romances but their plans are soon thwarted by a police sergeant, who demands that they help him with an unusual situation involving a young boy named Donald Martin. The police sergeant explains that Donald has run away from home to join the Navy and refuses to tell the police where he lives. Joe and Clarence easily win Donald's trust and agree to escort him home, where he lives with his widowed aunt, Susan Abbott. While Joe is eager to avoid any further involvement with the young boy, Clarence falls in love with Susan and promises to return the following day. When Joe and Clarence return to Susan's, they meet Bertram Kraler, a man Susan hopes will introduce her to the famous maestro José Iturbi. As Susan dresses for her date, Joe, convinced that Bertram is a new suitor who will only get in the way of Clarence's romantic pursuit of Susan, scares Bertram away by suggesting that Susan is a notorious Navy sweetheart. When Susan learns what Joe has done, she breaks down in tears and believes that her chances at breaking into show business are doomed. Joe tries to comfort Susan but only makes matters worse for himself when he tells her that Clarence and Iturbi are good friends and that he can arrange an audition for her. With her faith in Joe and Clarence restored, Susan takes them to a Mexican restaurant and sings a song for them. While Joe dances with Susan, Clarence meets a friendly waitress, whom he nicknames "Brooklyn," after their hometown. Realizing that he must honor Joe's promise to Susan for an audition with Iturbi, Clarence tries unsuccessfully to meet with Iturbi at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. Meanwhile, Joe, who has become quite fond of Donald and Susan, tells Donald's classmates a story about his experience in a mythical kingdom populated by animals: In the kingdom, Joe discovers that the animals that live there are sad because their mouse king has prohibited them from singing. Determined to help the animals, Joe visits their unhappy king and shows him the beauty of song and dance. Joe's story concludes with the king repealing his edict and allowing the animals to sing. As a new romance develops between Clarence and Brooklyn, Joe falls in love with Susan. One day, Susan has a chance encounter with Iturbi and discovers that Joe and Clarence have been deceiving her and do not really know Iturbi. Feeling embarrassed and betrayed, Susan breaks down in tears. Iturbi, however, understands her situation and arranges a screen test for her. The test is a great success, and Iturbi soon presents Susan at one of his shows. Before returning to his ship, Joe makes amends with Susan, and Clarence and Brooklyn embrace.