Pennies from Heaven 1936

In prison, Larry Poole [Bing Crosby] a self-described troubadour, is approached by an inmate named Hart [John Gallaudet], who is on his way to the electric chair. Hart asks Larry to deliver a letter to a family called Smith near Middletown, New Jersey. After locating the Smiths, which consist of a grandfather Gramp Smith and a young girl named Patsy Edith Fellows, Poole explains that the letter holds a key and reveals that the condemned man had unintentionally killed Patsy’s father, offering the Smiths his old house and former hideout as his only atonement.

Susan Sprague [Madge Evans] represents the county welfare department and her job is to see that Patsy is raised properly, or the girl will go to an orphanage. A string of misadventures befall Larry as he tries to help Gramps out with Patsy to save her from the orphanage, all while Susan and he fall in love.

To get cash for a restaurant license, Larry takes a stunt job at the circus, but is injured. While he is in the hospital, Gramps comes to let him know that the county has taken Patsy away. Larry believes Susan went behind his back and had Patsy placed in the orphanage. It is discovered that Susan had no part in it, but she loses her job defending Larry and Patsy.

Larry has the circus perform for the children so that he can “break Patsy out”, when Patsy lets Larry know how Susan feels about him. Their attempt to free Patsy fails. Afterwards, Larry finds out that Susan has gone to New York and he goes there to find her.

While in New York, Susan is approached by two policemen looking for Larry, not to arrest him as she suspects, but to bring him back to the head of the County Welfare Department to help deal with Patsy, who has gone on a hunger strike. The policemen are watching Susan’s apartment in the hopes that Larry will show up. When he does, they make him leave with them, after he and Susan reveal their feelings for each other.

When they return to the orphanage, the head of the welfare department begs Larry to help them with Patsy. Larry agrees to adopt Patsy and raise her with the help of Susan, who agrees to marry him and be a mother to Patsy.