Cinderella Liberty

John Baggs checks into the Seattle naval base medical facility for treatment of a pilonidal cyst. His medical tests are delayed, preventing him from rejoining his ship when it sails. He leaves with a clean bill of health but is stuck on the base while awaiting reassignment.

Baggs is given a Cinderella liberty pass that allows him to come and go from the base until the midnight curfew. However, the reassignment never comes due to paperwork delays, leaving him stuck on base.

The base loses Baggs's records, making him unable to be reassigned or receive pay or benefits. He remains confined to the base on Cinderella liberty, with no clear future in sight.

On his first night in a Seattle bar, Baggs spots Maggie, a pool-table hustler who works the sailors. He challenges her at pool and is drawn to her, then follows her to her tenement apartment later.

Baggs visits Maggie's tenement and meets her 11-year-old biracial son, Doug. He learns Maggie lives with Doug and begins to see her as more than a casual fling.

Baggs starts spending time with Doug and grows close to the boy, while his relationship with Maggie deepens into love. He becomes a stabilizing influence for Doug and witnesses the boy's resilience.

The couple faces strain when Baggs learns Maggie is pregnant by a man she knew before meeting him. They almost break up but ultimately reconcile, and Baggs accepts responsibility for the unborn child.

At the base, Baggs encounters his former training instructor Forshay, and a fistfight ensues. Baggs learns Forshay has been demoted and discharged for brutal treatment of recruits.

Forshay loses his pension after discharge and takes a menial job as a strip show barker. Baggs feels sympathy for him and resolves not to repeat the same mistakes in his life.

Baggs and Maggie marry, but the Navy refuses to recognize the marriage or grant normal family privileges because Baggs's records are missing. The couple endures the lack of support and benefits.

Doug's decayed teeth are fixed at the naval base by an unqualified dental assistant, highlighting the base's limited resources. Baggs supports Doug through the ordeal.

Maggie gives birth prematurely to Baggs's son, but the infant dies soon after. Grief drives Maggie back to prostitution as a means of coping.

The Navy locates Baggs's missing records and reassigns him to a new ship, granting $1,400 in back pay. Baggs plans to share the news with Maggie but learns she has moved on.

Maggie leaves for New Orleans with another man, and to stay with Doug, Baggs arranges with Forshay to swap places and ships out under Forshay's name. Baggs and Doug head for New Orleans to look for Maggie.