Judge Hardy and Son

An older couple, the Valduzzis, ask Judge Hardy for help as they face eviction from their home. The judge questions whether their daughter is dead and decides to take the case anyway. He assigns his son Andy to locate the missing daughter.

Andy is short of money and needs new tires. Beezy takes his last money as repayment, and Marian lends only two dollars. Polly asks him to buy expensive dance tickets, leaving him short for tires.

On the ride to the courthouse, Andy struggles to patch the old car, and he can't borrow more from the Judge who is overdrawn. The Judge agrees to pay if Andy helps find the client's daughter.

Andy canvasses fourteen houses in the heat, taking a break at Polly's to dodge the fatigue. Polly presses for romance, and Andy resists, choosing to press on toward a likely lead at L. V. Horton's home.

At L. V. Horton's pool, Andy meets a mature-looking Elvie Horton, who is actually Leonora Valduzzi Brock, an eighteen-year-old student working on a Hamilton essay for a prize. Her mother is wary of Andy's age, causing him to leave before trouble starts.

Andy returns to the tire store and obtains new tires on credit, also buying a new suit. The spending adds to his mounting debts as he juggles the case and his own needs.

The women plan a trip to Canada, but the Judge must stay home and work. Mrs. Hardy falls ill with pleurisy and is placed in an oxygen tent, while Andy stays to help his father.

Andy works on his Hamilton essay, only to learn it is intended for girls. He tries to persuade multiple girls to use his essay and woo them into paying, but the plan backfires as he is crowded by flirtatious attention and requests to take them to the dance.

While trying to bring Marian home, Andy and Marian get stuck on the far side of a bridge about to wash out. They walk with a policeman who helps them cross, and the cop lends his car so they can return. Mrs. Hardy survives the crisis and begins to recover.

The next day, Andy visits Elvie again; she is tearful and says she hates her mother, then reassures that she doesn't mean it. She explains her real name is Leonora Valduzzi Brock, and their conversation ends with him heading home after a sudden pothole costs him his tires and bumper.

The Judge explains to Mrs. Horton that the Valduzzis need money and that children can be compelled to care for their parents. She offers to help with a check. Elvie enters, learns of the truth, and her mother’s confession hints at an eventual resolution.

With two dates looming, Andy talks with his father and agrees to a plan: the Judge will cover debts except for the car, and they’ll take a bus to the fireworks and the dance. Andy weighs which girl to accompany and how the case will resolve.

Polly arrives angry that Andy has two dates. Elvie arrives with a matured presentation and even offers Andy a $100 gift to walk away, but he declines. The tension settles as they prepare for the dance.

Polly and Andy show off to Mrs. Hardy before the dance, and they head to the event in Elvie's car. The evening unfolds with all involved heading toward the dance, tying together the day’s complications.