Get Hep to Love

Doris is a precocious adolescent with a powerful singing voice who runs away from her money-hungry aunt. She tests the limits of family and autonomy by presenting herself as a potential adoptee to a newlywed couple. Her talent and pluck propel both romance and courtroom drama as the truth comes to light.

Ann is a young married woman who dreams of stability as she balances romance with Steve and the prospect of adopting Doris. She becomes a nurturing, practical mother figure and a voice of reason in the small-town upheaval. Her choices help bind the couple and Doris to a hopeful future.

Steve is Doris's prospective adoptive father, initially preoccupied with golf and reluctant to hold down a real job. He pursues a reliable income—via an insurance sale—to support a future family. His resolve to provide contrasts with his earlier evasions, highlighting a fragile yet aspirational stability.

Jimmy is a teenage suitor to Doris who initially pursues another girl but grows to see Doris in a new light. His youth, charm, and willingness to attend the prom with Doris anchor a hopeful romance within the town's social scene. He adds a buoyant, musical energy to the story.

Miss Roberts is the school's music teacher who recognizes Doris's voice and helps reveal her true talent. She travels to the city under the pretense of claiming a reward, but her true goal is to understand what Doris means to the town. She becomes a key catalyst in the orchestrated reveal.

Aunt Addie is Doris's money-driven guardian who reneges on her promise and tries to keep Doris under her control. She represents the foil to the Winters' wholesome plan, driving tension through financial and familial manipulation.

Detective Tucker trails Doris as the story unfolds and plays a role in the investigative thread that leads to the courtroom showdown. He embodies the town’s watchful eye and the push-pull between suspicion and empathy.

George Arnold is the insurance man whose policy pitch becomes a practical plot device to secure Steve's income for a future family. He embodies the era's get-ahead opportunism and the transactional side of adult life.