Beautiful Dreamer

Joe Kelly marries Claire as young sweethearts. He becomes a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber pilot in the US Army Air Force. After a mission over Germany, his plane crashes and he is captured; with a head wound, he takes a fallen comrade's dog tags and is presumed dead.

After the war, Claire and Joe's grandfather struggle to start anew at Kelly's Field, an aerial maintenance operation in Boone City, California. They work to rebuild a livelihood while the town adjusts to the aftermath of the conflict.

A year after the crash, Claire learns from townsfolk that Joe did not die. She is told he was seen alive in the back of a truck, surrounded by German guards, suggesting he may still be alive.

Claire is directed to Martin-Warner Aviation in Harris, California to meet William Martin. Her car breaks down in town, and she spots Joe in Ruby's cafe; he is known as Tommy and does not recognize her.

Tommy works with William Martin as a partner and chief pilot while repairing aircraft. He is conflicted about his identity and avoids acknowledging Claire's presence, while memory fragments of a past life begin to surface.

Claire takes a job as a waitress at Ruby's, hoping to stay close to Tommy and learn more about his life. William flirts with her, but she remains focused on uncovering Tommy's true identity.

Claire meets Rachael Thompson, who is in love with Tommy, adding romantic tension to the mystery. The rival attention complicates Tommy's possible memory recovery.

After a fallout with William, Tommy fears losing a key contract; Claire offers to help by arranging parts to convert a derelict B-24 into a cargo aircraft. The plan ties the town's livelihood to Tommy's past.

Tommy's memory begins to return as flashbacks of the crash surface during a dance night at Ruby's and in the old B-24. He pushes Claire away during the revelation, signaling the emotional stakes of reclaiming his past.

A restored B-24 is flown for a successful test with Claire and townspeople watching. During the flight, Tommy relives the crash, collapses, and is rushed to hospital by William after an emergency landing.

After recovery, Tommy accepts his true identity as Joe Kelly and confronts the life he left behind. Claire's hope for a renewed marriage grows as the truth settles in.

Returning home, Claire walks to the pond where Joe had proposed; a B-24 bomber flies overhead, and she runs toward it hoping for his return. Joe appears, they are finally reunited, and he returns her wedding ring, signaling a true second beginning.