Between Us Girls 1942
Directed by
Henry Koster
Made by
Universal Pictures
Between Us Girls Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Between Us Girls (1942). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Carrie, Diana Barrymore, a strong-willed but mischievous 20-year-old actress, returns from a successful Detroit stage run to New York to see her mother, Christine ‘Chris’ Bishop, Kay Francis. Chris confesses she has a new boyfriend, Steve Forbes, John Boles, and shares that she’s grown anxious about how Steve would view Carrie if he knew her daughter’s true age. To help Chris win Steve’s heart, Carrie hatches a bold plan: she disguises herself as a twelve-year-old, braids her hair into pigtails, dresses in children’s clothes, and acts startlingly immature whenever Steve and his younger friend Jim Blake Robert Cummings arrive. A photograph of Carrie as an adult—accidentally seen by Steve and Jim—gets described as Chris’s alcoholic sister, complicating the web of deception.
Despite the ruse, Carrie and Jim find themselves drawn to each other, and when it becomes clear that Jim has a girlfriend, Carrie crafts a clever series of excuses to keep him by her side, prompting his girlfriend to walk away. Their outings are marked by misadventures: Carrie’s hand is cut during a visit to an ice-cream parlor, and on another excursion she speeds in a car, gets arrested, and somehow manages to dodge admitting her true age. All the while, Carrie’s double life creates a tense but comic tension between affection, obligation, and fabrication.
The night before Carrie is scheduled to return to Detroit to act in a stage version of Joan of Arc, Carrie and Chris head to a nightclub to celebrate. There, the two men re-enter the scene, and Steve and Jim face the truth in different ways. Jim, who has begun to realize his feelings for Carrie even as he pretends to be Steve’s ally, suspects the ruse after noticing the hand injury. A confrontation follows: Jim leaves in anger, while Carrie trails him, explaining everything as she rides with him in his car. They end up by a lake, where Jim’s retaliation turns into a spontaneous moment of vulnerability as he throws her into the water before driving away.
Meanwhile, the dynamic between Steve and Chris shifts under the weight of the truth. Steve proposes marriage, and Chris calmly reveals the elaborate scheme that made their relationship possible in the first place, laying bare the lengths to which she went to protect both her daughter’s chances and Steve’s feelings. As the emotional layers unfold, Jim’s own confession shifts the course of the story: he realizes he loves Carrie. He then sneaks onto the Joan of Arc set, disguises himself as a knight, and, in a bold, in-character moment, proposes to Carrie mid-scene. Carrie, still fully in character as a devoted partner, accepts the unexpected proposal, sealing a romance that began under a veil of disguise but moves toward a future built on genuine emotion.
Between Us Girls Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Between Us Girls (1942) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Carrie returns to New York to visit her mother
Carrie, a 20-year-old actress, travels from Detroit back to New York to visit her mother, Chris. The reunion reveals that Chris has a new boyfriend, Steve Forbes, and that she has told Steve Carrie is younger than she actually is. Carrie realizes that to help her mother, she may have to go along with the age deception.
Chris reveals the age-disguise plan and Steve’s interest
Chris confesses the plan to keep Steve's interest by presenting Carrie as younger. She fears Steve would be impressed only if he believed she is a child rather than a grown woman. Carrie agrees to help, understanding the stakes for both of them.
Carrie disguises herself as a twelve-year-old
To aid the ruse, Carrie disguises herself as a twelve-year-old girl, braiding her hair into pigtails and donning children's clothes. She acts immaturely as Steve and Jim Blake arrive, presenting the 'child' to the men. The disguise relies on Steve and Jim buying the illusion while the truth remains hidden.
The disguise fuels a dangerous attraction with Jim
Despite the disguise, Carrie and Jim are drawn to each other, complicating the deception. Jim has a girlfriend, but Carrie fabricates reasons to keep him near her, eventually causing his girlfriend to leave him. The growing closeness tests the limits of the plan.
Hand injury at the ice-cream parlor
During one outing, Carrie's hand is cut at an ice-cream parlor, and the injury threatens to reveal her true age to Jim. Carrie downplays the incident, insisting it was an accident and that age is just a number. The secret identity remains on the cusp of exposure.
A reckless car ride and an arrest
In another escapade, Carrie drives a car recklessly and is arrested for speeding. She evades questions about her age, keeping up the pretense to protect the plan. The consequences of the deception begin to weigh on her.
Nightclub celebration brings Steve and Jim back
The night before Carrie returns to Detroit, she and Chris go to a nightclub to celebrate. They run into Steve and Jim, and Carrie is reintroduced as Chris's adult sister rather than Steve's girlfriend. Jim begins to suspect something, though he can't prove it yet.
Jim spots the truth and confronts Carrie
Jim finally recognizes the truth after seeing Carrie's hand scar. He confronts Carrie and leaves in anger. Carrie follows him to his car and explains the deception as he drives, trying to salvage the situation.
The lakeside confrontation
They stop by a lakeside, and Jim throws Carrie into the water as revenge, then drives off. The moment exposes the fragility of the deception and the risky consequences of their tangled feelings. The incident becomes a turning point for their relationship.
Steve proposes; the scheme is explained
Later, Steve proposes marriage to Chris, and she finally explains the scheme, revealing that Carrie’s teenage persona was part of the plan. Steve processes the revelation, balancing his feelings with the complexity of the deception. The fallout of the ruse becomes a looming factor in everyone's decisions.
Jim proposes on the Joan of Arc set
Meanwhile, Jim, realizing he loves Carrie, sneaks onto the Joan of Arc stage set disguised as a knight and proposes to her mid-scene. Carrie, still in character, accepts the proposal without breaking the act. The moment blends performance with genuine romance.
Carrie accepts Jim's proposal
Carrie accepts Jim's proposal, choosing love despite the deception that started it all. The film closes on a note of uncertain happiness as they prepare to begin a life together, facing the consequences of their scheme and the future ahead.
Between Us Girls Characters
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Caroline 'Carrie' Bishop (Diana Barrymore)
A bold, mischievous 20-year-old actress who disguises herself as a twelve-year-old to help her mother. Her resourcefulness drives the plot, and her genuine feelings complicate the deception, especially as she falls into romantic tension with Jim while Steve remains an object of affection.
Christine 'Chris' Bishop (Kay Francis)
Carrie’s mother, a pragmatic and protective woman who orchestrates the ruse to safeguard her daughter’s reputation and secure a future with Steve. She navigates social norms with a mix of charm and calculation, aiming to keep her family together.
Steven J. Forbes (John Boles)
The man at the center of both women's affections, whose feelings are pulled between romance and social expectations. He is drawn into the ruse and ultimately proposes to Chris, while also confronting Carrie’s truth.
Jimmy Blake (Robert Cummings)
Steve’s younger friend who becomes romantically entangled with Carrie. He discovers her age, initially reacts with anger, and later participates in the knight-proposal, highlighting impulsive romance and the tension between honesty and sentiment.
Between Us Girls Settings
Learn where and when Between Us Girls (1942) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1920s
Set in the Jazz Age, the film portrays urban American life with stage performances and nightlife. The story unfolds over a span of days, entwining romance, deception, and social maneuvering within a contemporary city context. The period mood fuels the comedy and romantic tensions at the heart of the plot.
Location
Detroit, New York City
The action moves from Detroit, where Carrie returns from a successful stage run, to New York City, a bustling hub of theater and social life. Key locations include a lively nightclub and a lakeside setting where the characters’ schemes unfold. The New York social scene acts as a backdrop for performance, reputation, and evolving relationships.
Between Us Girls Themes
Discover the main themes in Between Us Girls (1942). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Identity
Carrie disguises herself as a child to influence events, highlighting how appearances can mask true intentions. The plot relies on the tension between public persona and private desire, with age and propriety being negotiated through performance. Deception becomes a central tool to navigate relationships and social expectations.
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Romance
Romantic feelings cross the boundaries of age and deception as Steve, Jim, and the Bishops pursue love within a web of ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. Carrie’s evolving affections complicate loyalties, while Steve’s presence challenges the mother-daughter dynamic. The story uses romance to critique societal pressures around marriage and reputation.
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Performance
The nightclub and theatrical world mirror the characters' real-life games, turning personal life into a suspenseful performance. Truths are revealed in staged moments, altering relationships in real time. The film suggests that social success often depends on carefully managed appearances and calculated acts.
Between Us Girls Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the bustling theatrical world of 1930s New York, a sparkling romantic farce unfolds as a young stage actress returns home to a city that teeters between glittering lights and tangled family ties. The film opens with a lively, fast‑paced atmosphere where witty banter and mischief mingle with the scent of fresh curtains and backstage chatter, setting the tone for a story that balances heartfelt sentiment with outright hilarity.
Carrie is a headstrong, mischievous twenty‑year‑old whose confidence on the footlights is matched only by her willingness to bend reality for the sake of love. Faced with her mother’s budding romance, she devises a daring ruse: she will masquerade as a twelve‑year‑old child, complete with pigtails and a child’s wardrobe, to smooth the way for a new boyfriend whose opinion of her true age might otherwise stall the courtship. This audacious plan fuels the film’s central comic engine, turning everyday interactions into a brilliantly absurd dance of deception.
Christine ‘Chris’ Bishop is a strong‑willed mother whose own romantic hopes hinge on the success of her daughter’s charade. She has recently introduced Steve Forbes, a suave suitor whose presence injects both charm and a subtle undercurrent of tension into the household. Meanwhile, Jim Blake, a younger friend of Steve’s, adds another layer of playful intrigue, his chemistry with Carrie threatening to blur the lines between the ruse and genuine affection. The resulting entanglements generate a cascade of light‑hearted misunderstandings that keep the audience guessing which façade will crumble next.
The movie’s style is a rollicking blend of screwball comedy and tender romance, painted with bright dialogue and a kinetic energy that mirrors the constant backstage rush of productions. Every scene brims with possibilities, inviting viewers to revel in the delight of watching love improvise amid elaborate disguises, all while the characters navigate the sweet chaos of ambition, family, and the timeless quest for a happily ever after.
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