Plot

Three navy men run into a shady producer who convinces them to invest into his new show. When they meet the show's female star attraction, they're sold. Have they become the latest showbiz players or just three more suckers?

Three navy men (Gordon McRae, Gene Nelson and Jack E. Leonard) run into a shady producer (Sam Levene) who convinces them to invest into his new show. When they meet the show's female star attraction (Jane Powell), they're sold. Have they become the latest showbiz players or just three more suckers?

After eight months at sea, women-hungry sailors in a submarine docking for repairs at New York Harbor anticipate 30 days of shore leave. One sailor, Choir Boy Jones (Gordon McRae), has just read a book about investing and suggests that the sailors invest their back pay, instead of wasting it on women. Hoping to double their money overnight, and have more to spend for 29 days, the sailors delegate Jones and his friends, Twitch (Gene Nelson) and Porky (Jack E. Leonard), to invest their money. The three sailors proceed to a brokerage carrying $50,000 in a gunnysack. In the lobby, they overhear a commotion in stockbroker B. P. Morrow's (Raymond Greenleaf) office, where theatrical producer Joe Woods (Sam Levene) is pitching his new musical comedy, while Penny Weston (Jane Powell), an unknown lead in the show, sings and dances for the exasperated Morrow. As Woods and Penny are escorted off the premises, the insulted Woods yells accusations of mismanagement, which the gullible Jones takes seriously. Outside, Jones asks Woods to explain, but seeing money in the sailors' sack, Woods takes the sailors to his rehearsal space, which is located in a busy parking garage. There, dancers rehearse and the author, Melvyn Webster (Archer MacDonald), coaches Emilio Rossi (George Givot), an overrated opera star who has been cast as the male lead for name recognition. Hearing Woods explain to the sailors that the show is about the Navy, Melvyn realizes that the producer has again made changes to his autobiographical, dramatic play to suit the whims of investors. When Woods pushes Jones to sign a contract, Jones, who is an excellent singer, wants to hear the songs and read the script first. Woods secretly asks Penny to help convince the sailors, but she is reluctant to take advantage of the sailors' naivete. However, Jones is already infatuated with her and sneaks her into the submarine to get the approval of the other sailors. Days later, the three sailors, who are now Broadway backers, assist with menial labor. Rossi is still bungling his lines, so Porky, who often makes up skits with Jones and Twitch to relieve shipboard boredom, demonstrates how to play the scene more comically. Unimpressed, Rossi demands that the scene be cut. When the troupe travels to Boston for try-outs, Penny feels guilty about her part in risking the sailors' money and tries to prepare the excited Jones for all possibilities. However, Jones feels betrayed after the reviewers pan the show. Penny was praised by the reviewers, but Rossi's poor performance was ridiculed, causing him to quit in a huff. Soon after, Melvyn also walks out. Despite these problems, Woods prepares to salvage the show and searches for new backers. Twitch, who is a talented dancer, and Porky fill in where needed. The discouraged Jones returns to the sub, until a workman, who claims that anything can be fixed, inspires him to return to the theater. After convincing some Marines to put up money for the show, Jones buys out Woods' half and confidently takes on rewriting and directing. However, he treats Penny brusquely, explaining that he has learned not to mix personal and show business. Seeing that Jones's naive efforts are creating a flop, Penny, with Twitch and Porky's help, gets George Abbott (Grandon Rhodes), Moss Hart (David Bond) and Ira Gershwin (Alex Gerry) to give them free advice. After watching a rehearsal, the three show business giants make several suggestions, including, as an exploitation angle, having the talented Jones, Twitch and Porky perform in the show. When the show later opens in New York at the Knickerbocker Theatre as Three Sailors and a Girl, starring Penny as "The Navy Girl," it is a smash hit and one reviewer says that Abbott, Hart and Gershwin could not have done better. Taking full credit, Jones plans to change careers, but the annoyed Penny, Twitch and Porky remind him that Abbott, Hart and Gershwin were responsible for the success. A lawyer, A. J. Patterson (Joseph Forte), who claims to represent original backers solicited by Woods, shows up threatening a lawsuit to reclaim his clients' investments. However, Woods also appears and Penny tricks him into buying back the show for $200,000, saying truthfully that Jones is due back on the submarine that night. Wanting to be honest, Jones returns to tell Woods about Patterson, but finds that the producer is expertly handling the lawyer, whom he has recognized as a swindler. Penny and Jones make up, and that evening, having quadrupled their submarine mates' investment, the three sailors make their final appearance in the show.