Jimmy Haskell James Stewart runs a small music store in Point Jervis, New York, trying to make ends meet while dreams of a bigger stage tug at him. His uncle, Charles J. "C.J." Haskell Charles Winninger, despises music and has long urged Jimmy to quit the trade and join him in a health food business. Jimmy agrees to make the jump only after his music shop fails, setting up a clash between two very different worlds: the warmth of melody and the discipline of enterprise. When he arrives in the bustling town, he is warmly welcomed by Molly McCorkle Paulette Goddard, who invites him into her mother’s lively boardinghouse. The place hums with local life, especially the band led by Horace Heidt Horace Heidt, whose practice sessions spill over from the house into the adjacent Haskell factory. This unlikely mix of music, family, and business becomes the spark that sets everything in motion.
C.J. Haskell’s fury at the presence of the band is swift and sharp, and he sends a trusted assistant to shut it down. In a moment of impulsive snub, Jimmy hurls a tomato at the man—an act that backfires in the best possible way, because it delivers a memorable shock that endears Jimmy to the band and to Molly’s family. The double life Jimmy leads—publicly a tough, careful businessman and privately a talented musician—helps him win the trust of people who don’t yet know his true identity. Molly, sensing something compelling and kind beneath Jimmy’s exterior, finds herself drawn to him, even as she remains oblivious to the man’s real name and status.
The plot thickens when Jimmy steps in for CJ on the radio program, and Molly’s kid brother and Horace Heidt’s crew uncover the secret. Rather than exposing him, they see an opportunity: persuade CJ to take a needed vacation, letting Jimmy steer the show from the inside. With the band on board, Jimmy arranges for Heidt’s ensemble to perform on air, giving the program a fresh, lively lift. Molly, who has begun to fall for him, learns Jimmy’s identity and, in a moment of heat, blurts out on air that the Haskell program will give away $1000 each week. To shield her from potential trouble, Jimmy claims the idea as his own, even as lawful concerns begin to mount. He must navigate a tangle of regulations that threaten to derail every clever scheme they conjure up.
A federal investigator confirms the looming legal obstacles, adding a sense of tension and caution to Jimmy’s daring plan. Undeterred, he devises a clever workaround just before the show goes live. The plan hinges on a whimsical combination of randomness and chance: Jimmy and Molly enlist a pile of telephone books and a carnival wheel that Molly salvages, dragging both into the radio studio. They then pick a book, flip to a page, and randomly select an entry to determine the winner. The process is odd, chaotic, and utterly irresistible to listeners, and it quickly proves to be a sensational draw for advertisers eager to sign on.
As the studio lights blaze and the audience grows, the riskier elements fade into the background and the bond between Jimmy and Molly strengthens. The raucous energy of the broadcasts, the goofy but ingenious giveaway, and the undeniable chemistry between the couple slowly melt away the misunderstandings that once stood between them and their families. By the time the credits roll, the Haskels and the McCorkles have found common ground, and the couple—Jimmy and Molly—have solidified a future together. The story leaves audiences with a sense of warmth, resilience, and the joy of turning a risky, imperfect plan into a shared triumph.
