U.S. Navy men on leave are eager to meet girls. While egotistic heart breaker Jake boasts about his talent for winning women, “Dud Dynamite” Jones, so-called for his shyness around the opposite sex, is resigned to going fishing. Dynamite’s luck changes when a boat full of debutantes runs into his boat in the fog. Dynamite befriends the girls by telling the father of one of them that the accident was his fault, thereby preventing the father from suspending their boating privileges. When Dynamite returns to his ship with a mob of adoring girls, Jake, infuriated at his own bad luck, bets Dynamite he cannot win over a cafe dancer in Panama City named Billie “Stonewall” Jackson, who refuses to date sailors. As proof of Dynamite’s conquest over Billie, he must procure her “Ms. Panama” ribbon. When most of his Navy cronies bet money on him, Dynamite is forced to approach Billie to please them. Although Dynamite’s comedic buddy Barney fills his ear with bad advice, Dynamite eventually wins Billie with his own sincerity. Meanwhile, Billie’s girl friends, who have bet on her ability to resist Dynamite, try to keep Billie from falling for him. After their first kiss, Billie finds out about the bet when the sailors, led by Jake, stage a shivaree outside Billie’s window. Dynamite, enraged, fights Jake and starts a brawl, then later apologizes to Billie, who forgives him. Dynamite then proposes to Billie on the beach and she accepts, but when he asks for her ribbon so Barney can win his bet, she throws Dynamite’s ring in the sand. Barney then helps patch things up and Billie, willing to hand over her ribbon, waits for Dynamite to apologize. He decides to mimic toughness, believing that will win her back, but when she screams, Jake enters with the admiral and calls for Dynamite’s arrest. Billie swears Jake has a vendetta against Dynamite and he is cleared. Dynamite gives Billie back her ring and throws down her Ms. Panama ribbon to Barney, who wins his bet. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Watch Lady Be Careful (1936)
