Good-Time Girl

Gwen is caught borrowing a brooch from a pawnbroker and is fired for the misstep. She returns home to tell her father, who responds with a brutal beating. This moment triggers a downward spiral that pulls her toward the trouble-filled world she will inhabit.

Gwen packs her belongings after the beating and moves into a boarding house, seeking a fresh start. The new lodging exposes her to people in London’s nightlife and a path away from home. The change foreshadows the complicating relationships she will form.

Jimmy Rosso, a sharp-dressed man, steers Gwen toward work at the club where he works. He tells her to go to the Blue Angel and meet Max Vine, the boss. Gwen is hired as a hat-check girl after meeting Max.

At the club, Gwen meets Red Farrell, a band member who looks after her. Red’s protective presence grows as she settles into life at the club. Their budding bond signals potential trouble ahead.

Jimmy’s jealousy turns violent when Gwen rejects his advances. He beats her at the club, and Max Vine fires him after discovering the abuse. The rejection intensifies Jimmy’s vendetta against Gwen.

Jimmy steals their landlady’s jewelry and orders Gwen to pawn it for him. Believing the items belong to his mother, Gwen follows his instructions and pawns them. This betrayal sets in motion the charges that Gwen will face later.

The police locate Gwen and arrest her for jewellery theft. Miss Thorpe, presiding over the Juvenile Court, accepts Jimmy’s lies and discounts Red’s evidence, sentencing Gwen to three years in an approved school. Before the transfer, the case underscores the harsh judgments faced by young women.

Before Gwen is taken away, Red is allowed to see her by the child welfare officer. They share a passionate kiss, a moment of tenderness amid the looming separation. The scene highlights the personal costs of her misfortunes.

Gwen runs away from the approved school fight and seeks work in Brighton, where Max Vine has opened another club. He offers her a job to help her restart, and she accepts. The move marks a shift from London’s criminal pressures to the coast’s new opportunities.

Gwen becomes involved with Danny Martin, a regular at the club. One drunken night they drive together and accidentally kill a police officer. Danny demands they keep silent about the incident, setting off a spiral of fear.

Danny is questioned, and Gwen is beaten by him. She is then found and helped by two AWOL American soldiers who form an uneasy alliance with her. Together they turn to petty crime as a means of survival.

Joined by the AWOL soldiers, Gwen and the pair continue their crime spree and decide to head to Manchester to avoid detection. Their notoriety grows in London first, prompting the move. The trio’s chaotic path leads toward an inevitable confrontation.

While flagging down a car to steal, Gwen recognizes the driver as Red from her past. Her companions shoot Red dead, severing any chance of reconciliation and escalating Gwen's entanglement in violence. They are eventually caught.

All three are caught and tried for their crimes. Gwen is sentenced to fifteen years in prison, a harsh consequence for her involvement. The verdict underscores the film’s bleak view of crime and fate.

For the frame story, Lyla thanks Miss Thorpe and decides to head home. Miss Thorpe's guidance frames Gwen's story and offers a moral resolution to the film's themes.