In Manhattan, Bill McCaffrey resists becoming a full-time employee of his pop Patrick’s plumbing business because he believes he can make more money, more easily, by betting on the horses. After winning over $200, he takes his girl friend, Molly Gilbert, to a fancy dinner and proposes to her, but she refuses to accept until he stops playing the horses and saves $1000. He promises to stop gambling and put the rest of his winnings in the bank. The next day he hears a hot tip, however, and unable to get his money out of the bank, he takes a payment from one of his father’s clients and bets on the horses, winning $1500. Molly accepts his proposal on the premise that he has stopped gambling, but just before they are married, she finds out that he wants to honeymoon in Saratoga so that he can bet on the horses, and she calls off their engagement. Bill goes to Saratoga and gains fame as “The Plunging Plumber,” after he has a $50,000 winning streak. His best friend “Scotty,” who used to drive a milk truck, fixes him up with “Goldie” Williams, who gets Bill drunk and steals his letters to Molly. In Manhattan, Pop advises Bill to quit while he’s ahead, but Bill pays no heed to his advice. Goldie sues him for breach of promise, but he tricks her into returning his letters and he hears no more of the lawsuit. After buying a tired racehorse named “Lady Lightning,” Bill paints up another horse to look just like Lady and lays all his money on her in the next race. The horse loses, and so does Bill, who is reduced to watching races through a fence until Molly rescues him and he realizes his betting days are over. He returns to Pop’s plumbing business and to Molly. More on Wikipedia
Watch Don’t Bet on Love (1933)
