George White’s Scandals 1945

At a Scandals Club reunion, comedienne Joan Mason announces her engagement to Jack Evans. While everyone showers them with congratulations, Jill Martin, the daughter of former Scandals dancer Molly Hogan, steps forward to introduce herself and join the lively chatter. Jack arrives with his sister, Clarabelle Evans, who reminds Jack of the dying promise their mother made: he would not marry until Clarabelle did. In a tense moment, Clarabelle pulls aside Joan and implies she disapproves of the romance, hinting that she might even try to derail it.

At rehearsals the next day, Tom McGrath mistakes Jill for one of the chorus girls. Jill fabricates a disguise, asking Joan to keep her secret, and Tom, impressed by Jill’s dancing, offers her the closing act of the show over another chorus girl named Billie Randall. As the plan unfolds, Jack and Joan scheme to set Clarabelle up with a male escort, hoping to shift Clarabelle’s outlook on romance. Jack throws a surprise birthday party for Clarabelle, and Joan introduces her to the escort. Clarabelle warms up to him at first, only to discover that Joan hired the man to seduce her, which fuels her anger toward Joan and leads to a dramatic confrontation that ends with Clarabelle throwing an axe and Joan calling off her engagement to Jack.

Meanwhile, Billie Randall exposes Jill’s true identity as an aristocrat and turns her in to the British Embassy. A representative arrives to talk Jill out of the show, and Tom’s anger grows when he learns the truth about Jill’s lie. Embarrassed, Jill leaves the production, while Jack and Joan reconcile, and Jack tells Clarabelle that he and Joan are going to get married. Joan then tells Tom to keep searching for Jill in order to bring her back to the show, as she confronts Billie.

The confrontation escalates when a scene painter accidentally dumps a gallon of paint onto Billie’s head and a sandbag knocks Clarabelle out, threatening the show’s momentum. Jill’s parents arrive to voice their support for her performance, and Jack spots Jill in the audience. Realizing her parents are watching, Jill decides to perform. After the dust settles, Clarabelle awakens and asks who that “beautiful girl” is, showing no lingering anger toward Joan. In a final, playful moment, Joan replies, > it must have been a direct hit! and shares a kiss with Jack.