The Bird Came C.O.D.

A publicity-hungry broadcaster hypes the planned elopement of Joan Winfield and bandleader Alan Brice, drawing nationwide attention. The sensational coverage triggers Steve Collins to intervene and strike a risky deal. The spark starts in Los Angeles as the plan becomes a public spectacle.

Steve's air charter company is drowning in debt, with a midnight deadline to prevent seizure of his plane. He negotiates with Winfield to stop the elopement by delivering Joan to Amarillo for a price. They settle on a freight rate of $10 per pound, estimating Joan at about 115 pounds.

When a creditor returns to claim the plane key, Steve knocks him out and steals the aircraft with Joan aboard. The incident makes headlines, with the press declaring the bride kidnapped as news networks pick up the story. The ruse immediately places Collins in a precarious position.

In midair, Joan asks how much Steve wants for ransom. He quotes roughly $1,100, enough to cover the debt, while she offers $5,000 to ensure her safe return. Steve remains steadfast on honoring the original bargain.

An irate Joan tries to jump from the plane, but Steve swerves to keep her from jumping and ends up crash-landing near a ghost town. The unexpected crash forces them into a vulnerable position in a remote outpost.

Steve and Joan camp at the wreckage and share a makeshift picnic, with Steve trying to coax Joan into eating. The isolation of the crash site deepens their uneasy bond as they contemplate their futures.

Pop Tolliver, the town’s lone resident, hears news of the kidnapping and arrests Steve at gunpoint. He locks Steve in a jail-like setup in his old jalopy, halting their progress as the situation grows tenser.

Tolliver learns that Joan’s father doesn’t see this as kidnapping and had actually hired Collins to stop the elopement. Tolliver releases Steve and agrees to help return Joan, setting them on a new, improvised course of action.

Joan escapes into an abandoned mine, pursued by Steve, and they become trapped by a cave-in for several hours. Inside, Pop offers guidance that helps Steve survive and search for a way out without revealing it.

Steve returns to Joan without disclosing the exit, and they fear they will die together. He proclaims his love, but when he kisses her she tastes mustard on his lips, realizing he deceived her about the ransom and the bargain.

Exiting the mine, Alan tracks them with a sheriff intending to arrest Collins on a California warrant. Tolliver misdirects the search by declaring Bonanza to be in Nevada, which complicates the legal footing of the arrest.

Joan agrees to marry Alan to avoid Steve’s legal jeopardy, and a Nevada judge marries them in the air. The ceremony is invalid, and the couple boards another aircraft to continue fleeing while the pursuit intensifies.

Joan spots a souvenir labeled 'Bonanza, California' and realizes they were never truly married. She parachutes out to reunite with Steve on solid ground, signaling a reset to their relationship.

Joan and Steve are finally married with her father’s blessing, and they honeymoon in Bonanza to celebrate. The town and its surroundings become a symbol of their new beginning after the chaos.

Joan weighs 118 pounds at the end, yielding a COD payment of $1,180 to settle Steve’s debt. The couple’s fortunes are restored as they begin their new life together.