Paddy O’Day

Eight-year-old Paddy O'Day travels from Ireland to join her mother, who works as a cook for a wealthy family in America. She boards a sea voyage and befriends the Petrovitch family of Russian dancers aboard. Paddy even performs a dance with them while trying to hide her dog Tim on the journey.

On arrival at Ellis Island, immigration officials inform Paddy that her mother has died and they plan to send her back to Ireland. To keep her calm, they tell Paddy that her mother is very sick and move her to a locked dormitory on the island. This sudden loss and confinement set Paddy adrift in a strange land.

Paddy escapes the dormitory and hides with Tim inside an empty milk canister. A milk truck carries them away from Ellis Island toward Manhattan, concealing their escape. The unlikely hiding place becomes the first precarious shelter in a new country.

The milk truck drops Paddy in Manhattan, and she steps into a world of noise and traffic she barely understands. She is bewildered by the throng and confusion of the city. A band of street urchins accosts her, prompting a quick, resourceful defense with her dog Tim.

She charms a policeman who chases away the troublemaker and, in gratitude, he gives her a ride on his motorcycle. The officer then stops a speeding car and tells the driver to take Paddy to Long Island so she can be reunited with her mother. The ride marks a hopeful, if precarious, connection in the city.

The officer arranges for a car to take Paddy to Long Island in the hope of reuniting her with her mother. Paddy's sense of safety returns as she travels away from the city chaos. The journey hints at a possible domestic future despite the grim news.

Back at the household, the staff scramble to hide Paddy's presence from the aunts who would report her to immigration. Dora the maid finally breaks the news that Paddy's mother has died. Paddy's sense of security is further unsettled as hidden loyalties and fear swirl around her.

Paddy's dog Tim escapes and chases the aunts' cat Mathilda, while Paddy seeks shelter in Roy, the reclusive master of the house. Paddy charms Roy, and Tim destroys one of his model birds, yet Roy still likes her and agrees to keep her presence secret from his aunts. This marks the first stable connection Paddy makes at the house.

Tamara Petrovitch, Paddy's Russian friend, arrives with her brother Mischa, who owns a nightclub. They persuade Roy to let Paddy live with them as part of a new social circle. Roy falls for Tamara, and he composes and plays an original song for her.

When the aunts return from their trip, they are stunned by Roy's transformation. He has become a mustached guitarist in colorful Russian attire, embracing a lively, vodka-fueled persona with live birds instead of his old stuffed collection. The change signals a new, liberated life for Roy and Paddy’s circle.

Mischa's nightclub opens with Paddy singing 'I Like Balalaika' alongside a troupe of balalaika players, while Tamara performs a traditional Russian dance. The show marks Paddy’s entry into a glamorous, cosmopolitan life. The aunts remain unaware of the deeper changes surrounding Paddy.

Officer McGuire arrives, having been tipped off by a private detective, to arrest and deport Paddy. In a climactic reversal, Roy declares that he and Tamara have secretly married and will adopt Paddy, securing her future within their growing family. The story closes on Paddy joining a hopeful, unconventional family.