Colleen 1936

Romance

Drama

Runtime

89 mins

Language

English

Made by

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Colleen Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Colleen (1936). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Cedric Ames is the absent-minded and easily distracted president of a large business, with much of the operation run by his subordinates, including his nephew Donald Ames. When Cedric impulsively hires an assistant named Joe Cork, the new man quickly spots his boss as an easy mark.

During a tour of a candy company housed in one of the buildings he owns, Cedric meets Minnie Hawkins, a “chocolate dipper” who seems to have bigger ambitions. Influenced by his new assistant, he buys a dress shop for Minnie to manage, even though she’s portrayed as a gold digger. Donald tries to fix things by going to the dress shop to examine the books.

Colleen Reilly, the dress shop’s bookkeeper, is furious when Donald plans to close the shop. When newspaper headlines shout about “the businessman who bought a dress shop for a chocolate dipper,” Colleen seizes the moment to stage a fashion show. The spectacle draws in customers and begins to make the shop profitable for the first time. Colleen convinces Donald to keep the shop open. Donald invites her to dinner to discuss her plans, and she agrees—only to reveal that she is unexpectedly engaged to Joe Cork.

Joe begins to see Minnie, and the two conspire to have Cedric adopt Minnie so that Joe can marry her. Gossip columns soon pick up the story, shocking Alicia Ames and prompting Donald to close the shop. Yet love between Colleen and Donald persists, while Minnie and Joe are both fired.

In a bid for revenge, Minnie sues Cedric for five million dollars for breaking his promise to adopt her, and Joe sues Donald for five million dollars for stealing Colleen. Both settlements are bridged with $25,000 apiece. Colleen is fired by mistake and receives a check for $10,000 to drop any legal claims.

Donald tries to reach Colleen by phone to propose again, but she berates him and hangs up, devastated. Brokenhearted, she accepts an offer to open a dress shop on an ocean liner. It turns out Donald is aboard the same ship, along with Cedric and his wife, and the trio’s tensions soften as they reconnect. In the end, Colleen and Donald find each other again and become engaged, signaling a hopeful, if winding, conclusion to a comic saga of romance, ambition, and misadventure.

Colleen Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Colleen (1936) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Cedric hires Joe Cork

Cedric Ames, a distracted president, impulsively hires an ambitious assistant named Joe Cork. Joe immediately sees Cedric as an easy mark and begins to influence the business affairs around him. This marks the start of a chain of schemes driven by Joe's pushy influence.

beginning Cedric's office

Meeting Minnie Hawkins

During a tour of a candy company Cedric owns, he meets Minnie Hawkins, a dress-wearing chocolate dipper with a sharp eye for opportunity. Minnie captures Cedric's interest and becomes central to his impulsive decisions. The encounter sets up the unlikely partnership that follows.

during tour Candy company tour

Dress shop purchase

Influenced by Joe Cork, Cedric buys a dress shop for Minnie. The purchase is framed as a generous gesture, but it also reveals Cedric's susceptibility to grand, impractical ideas. Minnie begins to run the shop, while others react to this unexpected acquisition.

shortly after meeting Minnie Dress shop

Donald investigates the books

Donald tries to fix things by examining the dress shop's books. He sees signs of potential trouble and tries to understand how the shop fits into Cedric's unpredictable plans. His examination foreshadows conflicts to come.

after purchase Dress shop

Colleen opposes closure

Colleen Reilly, the bookkeeper, resents Donald's plan to close the shop. Her stance positions her as a key ally in keeping the business afloat. Her perspective becomes crucial as publicity and romance swirl around the shop.

around planning stage Dress shop

News headlines boost business

Newspaper headlines proclaim the odd purchase: a businessman buys a dress shop for a chocolate dipper. The publicity draws curious customers into the shop, giving it a surprising lift. Public attention changes the shop's fortunes rapidly.

shortly after headlines Dress shop

Fashion show saves the shop

Colleen stages a fashion show to capitalize on the publicity. The event attracts many customers and makes the shop profitable for the first time. The success convinces Donald to keep the shop open despite earlier plans.

after publicity Dress shop

Dinner invite and reveal

Donald asks Colleen to dinner to discuss the shop's future. She agrees, then reveals—by coincidence—that she is engaged to Joe Cork. The revelation complicates relationships and deepens the love triangle at the heart of the story.

shortly after the fashion show Restaurant

Joe and Minnie scheme

Meanwhile, Joe begins to see Minnie in a romantic light and the two concoct a plan: Cedric should adopt Minnie, and Joe would marry her. The scheme sets in motion further family and legal entanglements.

after the dinner reveal Various locations around the office

Gossip fuels scandal

News of the plan reaches gossip columns, causing a scandal in Cedric's circle. Cedric's wife Alicia is alarmed, and she pressures Donald to close the shop. The publicity-driven turmoil begins to threaten the business again.

following the Joe-Minnie plot Public media / Cedric's household

Minnie and Joe fired

Minnie and Joe are fired as the fallout from the scheming escalates. Donald remains entangled with Colleen, while Minnie and Joe confront an uncertain future. The emotional stakes rise as loyalty and romance collide with business policy.

after closure pressure Dress shop

Suits and settlements

In retaliation, Minnie sues Cedric for five million for breaking his promise to adopt her, and Joe sues Donald for five million for stealing Colleen. Both lawsuits end with settlements of twenty-five thousand dollars. The disputes leave financial damage but little lasting resolution.

after the lawsuits Legal setting / offices

Colleen fired and ocean liner offer

Colleen is fired by mistake and given a ten thousand dollar payout to drop her claims. Brokenhearted, she accepts an offer to open a dress shop on an ocean liner. Her move signals a fresh start away from the current chaos.

after settlement Business offices / ship assignment

Reunion on the ocean liner

Donald calls Colleen to marry him, but she initially rebuffs him. Fate brings them back together when they discover they are aboard the same ocean liner as Cedric and his wife. The two reconcile and become engaged, ending the central arc with a hopeful union.

final act Ocean liner

Colleen Characters

Explore all characters from Colleen (1936). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Cedric Ames (Hugh Herbert)

The absent-minded, easily distracted president of a large business who relies on underlings and impulsively hires Joe Cork. His quick decision to buy a dress shop for Minnie sets off a chain of romantic and financial complications. His blunders drive the comedy and the eventual chaos of the plot.

💼 Power 🏛 Business 💘 Romance

Colleen Reilly (Ruby Keeler)

The bookkeeper at the dress shop who fights to keep the business afloat. She orchestrates a fashion show to attract customers and demonstrate the shop's viability. Colleen's growing feelings for Donald complicate her professional life and propel the romance forward.

💃 Fashion 💘 Romance 💰 Ambition

Minnie Hawkins (Joan Blondell)

A sharp-winger, glamorous 'chocolate dipper' who uses charm and schemes to advance herself. She engineers the plan to secure adoption by Cedric and to marry Joe Cork, and later pursues compensation through a lawsuit. Minnie's maneuvering exposes the costs and consequences of desire.

💄 Glamour 💋 Drama 💰 Ambition

Donald Ames (Dick Powell)

Cedric's nephew and subordinate who tries to fix messes around the dress shop while secretly courting Colleen. His plans to secure happiness for himself and Colleen are complicated by family and business entanglements. He embodies a hopeful, yet flawed, approach to love and responsibility.

💼 Ambition 💘 Romance 🧭 Schemes

Joe Cork (Jack Oakie)

Cedric's shrewd but scheming assistant who sees Cedric as an easy mark and hatches a plan to marry Minnie. He pursues his own clever schemes, providing comic relief while exposing the fragility of the 'business of love'.

🎭 Comedy 🧠 Schemes 💍 Love

Alicia Ames (Louise Fazenda)

Cedric's wife who is scandalized by the news and pressures Donald to close the dress shop. Her actions reflect the social pressures and influence within high society.

💍 Marriage 🏛 Social Pressure 🛳 Travel

Colleen Settings

Learn where and when Colleen (1936) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Ames Company buildings, the dress shop, an ocean liner

The action moves between Cedric Ames's corporate world and the dress shop he buys for Minnie Hawkins, located in a building owned by the Ames company. The dress shop becomes a central stage for ambition, fashion, and romance, drawing in customers through a bold fashion show. The story also travels to luxury as characters board an ocean liner, where personal ties are tested and reconciled.

🏢 Corporate 👗 Fashion 🚢 Ocean travel

Colleen Themes

Discover the main themes in Colleen (1936). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💖

Romance

Love drives the plot as Cedric's impulsive romance with Minnie disrupts the corporate order. Colleen's growing feelings for Donald complicate alliances and raise questions about loyalty. A fashion show becomes a catalyst where affection and ambition collide, fueling misunderstandings and comedy. The theme traces how romance can blur lines between business and happiness.

🏢

Social Climbing

The dress shop becomes a field for social ambition, where appearances and publicity shape success. Minnie and Joe manipulate events to climb the social ladder, while Colleen's loyalty tests the costs of status. Headlines about a businessman buying a dress shop spotlight how media elevates ordinary ventures into social spectacles.

⚖️

Money

Wealth governs the characters' choices, with a $25,000 payoff as a central bargaining tool. The lawsuits and settlements reveal how money can buy silence and alter relationships. Even as greed intrudes, the story ends with a reconciliation that values personal bonds over profit.

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Colleen Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Colleen (1936). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a bustling corporate empire where boardrooms sit beside confectionery factories and dress boutiques, the everyday rhythm is punctuated by song and tap‑dance, turning ordinary business dealings into glossy, almost theatrical set‑pieces. The film slides between glossy office corridors, candy‑scented production floors, and the glitter of a fashion showroom, all bathed in a bright, tongue‑in‑cheek visual style that feels part‑musical, part‑satire. Its humor derives from the absurdity of high‑stakes commerce colliding with the whims of personal ambition, all underscored by lively numbers that keep the energy humming.

At the heart of this world is Cedric Ames, a wealthy yet absent‑minded president whose grand ideas often outpace his attention. He delegates much of his empire to trusted hands, most notably his eager nephew Donald Ames, who oscillates between dutiful manager and well‑meaning meddler. Enter Joe Cork, a freshly hired assistant whose quick mind spots opportunity everywhere, and Minnie Hawkins, a charismatic chocolate dipper whose aspirations stretch far beyond the sugary vats she tends. Their paths intersect when a chance encounter leads to the acquisition of a modest dress shop, setting the stage for an unexpected clash of dreams.

Guiding the shop’s ledger is Colleen Reilly, a sharp‑witted bookkeeper whose practical sensibilities clash delightfully with the flamboyant schemes swirling around her. Her presence injects a grounded perspective, while also providing a conduit for the film’s romantic undercurrents. As each character pursues their own version of success—whether it’s expanding an empire, climbing the corporate ladder, or finding a stage to shine—tensions rise, alliances form, and the melody of ambition plays on.

The tone remains buoyant and witty, inviting the audience to watch a circus of personalities dance around each other in pursuit of profit, love, and a little bit of stardom. The story promises a cascade of musical interludes, comedic misunderstandings, and the kind of light‑hearted intrigue that keeps viewers humming long after the curtain falls.

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