A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob

Year: 1941

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Wallace

ComedyRomance

Harold Lloyd produces a goofy romp about shy shipping executive Steve, who meets Dot at the opera. She becomes his temporary secretary, igniting a love triangle when sailor Coffee Cup arrives to court her. Steve finds life dull with Cecilia but exciting with Dot and Coffee, and eventually falls for Dot as Coffee nears his Navy discharge and plans to marry her.

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A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Mild-mannered shipping magnate Stephen Herrick meets his new secretary Dot Duncan. Recognizing Dot from a calamitous encounter the previous evening, he dismisses her, but after she explains the situation, Stephen relents.

Dot’s beau, wrestler Claudius “Coffee Cup” Cup, returns from the Navy. An incident on the street ends in a brawl in which Stephen is knocked unconscious, Coffee Cup takes him to the Duncan house to recover.

Stephen awakens to the chaos of the Duncan household and is so delighted by Dot’s boisterous family and friends that he accompanies her and Coffee Cup to a dance hall but forgets about his fiancée, the snobbish Cecilia Grange.

The next morning, Cecilia bursts into Stephen’s office to find Dot, who has just fallen from a stepstool, in Stephen’s arms. Cecilia’s demands that he fire Dot, but Stephen ignores her.

Coffee Cup wins a wrestling match and wants to use his winnings to fund his wedding to Dot. However, Dot’s brother Pigeon Duncan admits to betting on Coffee Cup’s opponent and losing all of their money.

Coffee Cup wins a piano at a raffle and plans to pawn it for an engagement ring, but the piano is destroyed by a truck. Coffee Cup’s next plan lands him in jail for inciting a riot. Stephen posts his bail and offers to buy his good-luck ring so that Coffee Cup can afford Dot’s engagement ring.

Stephen’s partner Abel Martin encourages him to pursue Dot. However, Stephen concedes Dot to Coffee Cup, who asks him to be his best man at the wedding.

During the wedding rehearsal, Coffee Cup misplaces the ring, and when he leaves the room to search for it, his sailor friends suggest that Dot is marrying the wrong groom.

When Dot bursts into tears as Stephen approaches to kiss her good luck, Coffee Cup realizes that his friends were right and sends Stephen to speak to Dot.

Coffee Cup flees the chapel on his motorcycle and Stephen pursues him in a cab. The men fight over Dot before the cab speeds them back to the chapel, where Coffee Cup deposits the unconscious Stephen along with a note to Dot explaining that he is reenlisting in the Navy and that Stephen is in love with her.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:20

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The story follows a protagonist torn between two potential partners, but the tension arises from social awkwardness and miscommunication rather than deep betrayal or anguish. The third party in the triangle is often a likable character, and the resolution typically involves a generous gesture or a clear realization of true love, preserving everyone's dignity.

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