Moon Over Miami 1941

Sisters Kay Latimer [Betty Grable] and Barbara Latimer [Carole Landis] work as carhops in a Texas drive-in restaurant with their Aunt Susan Latimer [Charlotte Greenwood], the cook, when they learn that an expected inheritance of $55,000 has dwindled to just $4,000 after taxes and fees. Determined to marry a millionaire, Kay urges Barbara and Susan to spend the money on a sun-soaked trip to Miami, hoping to lure a wealthy husband at a glamorous resort.

At Flamingo Hotel, Barbara poses as Kay’s secretary and Susan as her maid, and the three women soon cross paths with Jack O’Hara [Jack Haley], a bartender who openly proclaims his disdain for fortune-hunters. Jack, who quickly becomes enchanted with Susan, believes Kay to be genuine and vows to steer her away from gold-diggers.

Kay quietly engineers an invitation to a party hosted by Jeffrey “Jeff” Boulton II [Robert Cummings], while also meeting Phil O’Neil [Don Ameche], the heir to the famous O’Neil Mines. What follows is a lively rivalry for Kay’s attention between the two dashing men, with Kay unsure whom she truly loves, and Barbara quietly falling for Jeff.

Three weeks pass and trouble looms: the hotel bill has risen, and the trio finds themselves short on cash. Susan borrows $150 from Jack, who has proposed to her, prompting Kay to devise a plan to secure a future with one of the men by keeping them occupied at a dance that night. Kay puts Barbara with Jeff and steps in to talk with Phil, with whom she has developed real feelings.

Phil reveals that he is broke and that the O’Neil Mines will not yield profits for at least five years, prompting Kay to admit that her Miami scheme wasn’t purely romantic. The two concede that Kay might be pursuing a rich match, and they tentatively agree to consider other partners. Phil admits Kay loves him, and she briefly contemplates a future with him before accepting Jeff’s proposal.

Yet the plot thickens when Jack overhears the conversations about the ruse and threatens to reveal the truth if Kay’s feelings aren’t real. The scene shifts to Jeff’s island, where Phil volunteers to be Jeff’s best man, hoping to stay close to Kay. Jack unexpectedly arrives, threatening to expose everything if Kay isn’t truly in love with Jeff.

On the night of a party Jeff hosts for Kay, Barbara nudges Jeff toward a bold career move in South America to escape his father’s shadow, while Phil confesses his love for Kay. As Phil urges Kay to choose their future together, Jeff enters and faces the truth about Kay’s heart. Kay and Phil declare their plan to marry, while Jeff reveals that he has loved Barbara all along and intends to marry her.

In the end, happiness multiplies: Susan and Jack also find romance, and the three couples begin their new lives together, closing the chapter on a farcical scheme that tested love, money, and loyalty but ultimately confirmed that true affection can outshine gold.