The Girl Can’t Help It

Marty 'Fats' Murdock hires Tom Miller to turn his blonde girlfriend into a singing star and to avoid personal advances. Miller begins promoting Jordan across night spots, planting seeds of public interest. The plan sets the film's momentum as the two men maneuver through the entertainment underworld.

Whenever Miller hears Julie London, he imagines her there. Circumstances shift and he starts imagining Jerri Jordan in London's place. The fantasies color his judgments as he promotes Jordan.

Miller informs Murdock that Jordan wants only a homemaker’s life rather than a show-business career. He tries to convince Murdock not to push her into stardom. Murdock remains determined, prioritizing control and profits.

Murdock demands a recording of a song he composed in prison, with Jordan performing the prison siren. Miller reluctantly records her track and then heads to Chicago to pitch it. The scene sets the film's crossover between crime, music, and ambition.

Miller travels to Chicago to pitch Jordan to Wheeler, a former mob rival who now dominates the jukebox industry. The pitch reveals the tangled alliances at play. Chicago becomes the strategic battleground for their ambitions.

Wheeler is impressed by Jordan's voice and the song, offering to sign both her and the songwriter. When Miller reveals the songwriter is Murdock, Wheeler refuses to promote the song. The rejection constrains Miller and forces new tactics.

To lock in control, Murdock bullies bar owners into buying jukeboxes and promoting his act. Wheeler counterplots by arranging Murdock’s assassination at Jordan’s debut rock show. The film builds toward a dangerous showdown.

Mousie reveals he edited the call between Miller and Jordan to remove romantic parts, convincing Murdock that their relationship is strictly business. The deception threads through the plot, affecting decisions and loyalties. The shift paves the way for a later confession.

Backstage, Jordan confesses her love for Miller and they kiss. She admits she sings, having lied about wanting a show business career, and she performs a song about her love for Miller. The crowd’s reaction confirms her true talent.

Murdock arrives to learn of Miller and Jordan’s love and offers his blessing. The moment reframes power, affection, and business as the lovers look toward a future together. The mobster’s approval completes the personal arc for Miller and Jordan.

Wheeler's assassins shoot at Murdock as he reaches the show. Miller fights them off and shoves Murdock onstage to finish the song, hoping witnesses will deter the killers. The audience's reaction buys time and changes the odds.

Wheeler arrives, impressed by the crowd’s reaction to Murdock's numbers and cancels the assassination. He signs Murdock, cementing a new power dynamic in the jukebox world. The two factions briefly align as the scene closes.

Miller and Jordan kiss on their honeymoon, with a hopeful future ahead. In an epilogue, Miller and Jordan have five children, and Murdock often babysits them, suggesting a lasting bond beyond the immediate conflict. The film ends on a domestic note amidst the crime world’s echoes.