Two for Tonight

In the opening scene, Gilbert performs his self-written song 'Takes Two to Make a Bargain' while broker's men haul away the Smythes' furniture. The performance sets up his dream of selling the tune. It establishes his charm and the tempo of his chaotic financial world.

Gilbert conceals himself in a tree beneath which the deaf publisher Alexander Myers rests. He tries to pitch his song, unaware that Myers cannot hear properly. A plane circling overhead suddenly crashes into the tree, injuring Myers and complicating the pitch.

Gilbert’s mother reveals that she has sued the pilot to cover the damage, claiming 50,000 dollars for preventing Gilbert from finishing his musical. Gilbert protests that he never had a finished play. The pilot, Bobbie, agrees to pay the amount in weekly installments of 15 dollars from her salary.

Gilbert is brought to see the theatrical producer Kling, who is struggling to find a suitable play for his actress girlfriend Lilly. Gilbert tries to explain the accident and the money issue, but Kling misinterprets it as a request for a completed play. He orders him to finish the project within seven days before Kling returns from Paris.

With a troupe of actors, Gilbert moves into Kling's Long Island estate and begins drafting the musical 'Two for Tonight'. He performs 'From the Top of Your Head' for Bobbie, hoping to spark inspiration. Homps, the ex-Budapest producer, suggests seeking life experiences for material.

Homps encourages Gilbert to go out and gather material by experiencing life. He reveals himself as an ex-theatrical producer waiting for money from his Uncle Ludwig after his death. This advice pushes Gilbert toward real-world experiences for his second act.

Bobbie tries to persuade Gilbert to take her to dinner, but Lilly intervenes and escorts him to the Purple Café after he sings 'Without a Word of Warning'. The café becomes a staging ground for romantic and creative tensions. This sets up further plot twists as the characters circle the project.

Gilbert grows impatient for plot material and a waiter is tripped, prompting him to call the police. The police mistake him for Benny the Goof, leading to a soda-siphon battle that erupts into a riot. He ends up jailed, with Bobbie visiting and singing to him.

Released from jail, Gilbert resumes rehearsals and is visited by Bobbie. He serenades her with 'I Wish I Were Aladdin' as a chorus of prisoners joins in. The moment deepens the bond between them while the production stalls.

Gilbert's love scene with Lilly is misinterpreted by Bobbie and Kling arrives from Europe, declaring the play off. This setback threatens to derail the production and shifts momentum back to the real-world financing problem. The tension between art and business heightens.

Homps reveals that his uncle has died and that he inherits the money needed to finance and produce the show. With a new bankroll, the project moves forward and the mood shifts from despair to possibility. The estate reels with renewed energy as Gilbert accelerates work.

Gilbert pursues Bobbie and proclaims his devotion, and after he reprises 'Without a Word of Warning' she returns for a happy ending. The on-stage romance blends with the production's revival, bringing closure for the couple. The film ends with a hopeful pairing and lingering plans for future marriages.

With the romantic threads resolved, Mrs. Smythe is seen arm-in-arm with Homps, suggesting another marriage may be on the horizon. The film closes on the possibility of continuing family and show business ties. The tone remains light and comedic as debts are cleared.