On Christmas Eve, the small-town pace gets upended when elderly Melvin Bush [Victor Moore] is appointed as a justice of the peace with the power to marry couples, a duty that technically takes effect on January 1. When one of the six newly joined pairs files for divorce, a ripple of consequences follows: the buzz grows, and the others learn they’re not truly married. To avert a public scandal, the news is kept quiet and the remaining couples are informed that their nuptials may not hold up under scrutiny. The film then threads together how each couple and their inner circle respond to a situation that threatens reputations, finances, and the fragile balance of affection.
Steve Gladwyn [Fred Allen] and Ramona Gladwyn [Ginger Rogers], a husband-and-wife radio duo behind the popular Breakfast with the Glad Gladwyns, project harmony on air even as real life offers a colder truth: their love isn’t as seamless as their show suggests. The sight of a genuinely happy couple outside the marriage-licensing bureau nudges Steve toward reevaluating his bond with Ramona, and she follows suit, weighing what they owe one another for the sake of the paychecks and the spotlight.
Jeff Norris [David Wayne] and Annabel Norris [Marilyn Monroe] sit at the center of another strand. Annabel has just won the Miss Mississippi pageant, while Jeff—tired of tending to their child—sees an opening to rework their fate by discovering that they are not legally bound. Annabel and her sharp-witted manager Duffy [James Gleason] are chasing crowns, aiming for the title of Mrs. America, and Jeff’s maneuvers to reclaim his wife unfold amid a mix of vanity, ambition, and the pressure of public perception. In the end, Jeff’s hopes pivot in a surprising direction as his new fiancée rises in the Miss Mississippi contest, turning the pageant dream on its head.
Hector Woodruff [Paul Douglas] and Katie Woodruff [Eve Arden] carry their own quiet worry. They once spoke constantly, yet the well of conversation has run dry, leaving them both unsure about what remains to say to one another. When a letter from the Governor’s office lands in Hector’s hands, he imagines a revolving door of past romantic escapades and glamorous encounters, only to burn the letter in a moment of impulsive fear—an act that Katie never gets to see, illustrating how private fantasies can collide with shared reality.
Freddie Melrose [Louis Calhern], a kind but wealthy man, is married to the young gold-digger Eve Melrose [Zsa Zsa Gabor]. While Freddie travels for business, Eve schemes to secure a larger slice of his fortune, staging a dramatic ruse with the help of her attorney Stone [Paul Stewart]. The ensemble reality tightens when Eve’s gambit seems set to force Freddie into a costly divorce, but the timely arrival of a letter from the Governor’s office helps steer a more favorable turn for him and protect his assets.
Willie Fisher [Eddie Bracken] is a young soldier preparing to ship out to Hawaii, while his wife Patsy Reynolds [Mitzi Gaynor] arrives at the station with the heartbreaking news that she’s pregnant before Willie’s departure. Not knowing they’re not legally married, Willie hatches a bold plan to wed her before he leaves, dodging two MPs on the way. When the wariness of law meets the crunch of duty, Willie ends up in the brig, as his ship pulls away with him still uncertain about his future. A warm, last-minute intervention by a military chaplain resolves the crisis, arranging for Willie and Patsy to tie the knot by radio, a decision that brings a fragile, humorous hope to their growing family.
Across these entwined stories, the film blends humor with a gentle examination of marriage, legality, and the pressures of public life during a season of celebration. The characters wrestle with appearances, loyalty, and the often ridiculous clamor of love under the watchful eyes of a society that wants to know who is truly bound. The result is a warmly textured portrait of couples navigating a world where vows, titles, and reputations all collide—and where the holiday spirit invites forgiveness, second chances, and, above all, a willingness to reimagine what it means to be together.
