Golden Gate Girl

In San Francisco, widower Jien-Sien Ho, who is known to the Chinese community as Gin Man, worries that his sixteen-year-old daughter Chain-Ying spends too much time at the Chinese Opera. Nevertheless, Duck Sook, a salesman in Jien-Sien's shop, takes Chain-Ying to see Fay-Tien Wong, an actor from China, perform. After the show, Wong invites Chain-Ying to the Golden Gate Music Club for a party and the girl asks him for singing lessons. Chain-Ying and Wong begin to spend time together and Chain-Ying's friend, Sia-Lien Ho, tells Jien-Sien about his daughter's excursions with the actor and the fact that she has been missing school. Jien-Sien confronts Chain-Ying, who insists that in America, fathers have no rights over their daughters. When Chain-Ying says she loves Wong, Jien-Sien disowns her and then blames Duck Sook for his daughter's infidelity. Wong tells Chain-Ying that she must try to understand the old people's ways and then agrees to marry her, hoping that her father will now accept them. When Duck Sook tries to intervene on the couple's behalf, however, Jien-Sien says that he will never forgive them. The enraged father then goes to the theater owner and tells him to deport Wong, and the owner agrees not to renew the singer's contract, which is soon to expire. Several months later, Wong returns home one night and announces that he must return to China. Worried about his bride, who is now pregnant, he tells her that he will send for her when he has settled. Meanwhile, Duck Sook asks Jien-Sien to forgive his pregnant, lonely daughter, but he refuses. Mao Lee, Jien-Sien's cook, takes pity on Chain-Ying, gives her money and attends the birth of the baby girl. For his disloyalty, Jien-Sien fires Mao-Lee, who joins Duck Sook in taking over a Chinese laundry so that they can support Chain-Ying's baby after Chain-Ying's sudden death. Duck Sook and Mao Lee give the baby a Chinese name, Loy Lo, and an American name, Lulu, and when the girl grows up, Duck Sook teaches her Chinese dances and instills in her a love of the theater. When a benefit concert and party is organized for Chinese war refugees, Lulu wishes to perform, and Duck Sook and Lulu both audition and receive parts. Lulu has a supporting role in an opera with a visiting star, Sing Kuo, but when Duck Sook must find the traditional dress that is required for her performance, he discovers that all the stores are sold out of it. Duck Sook steals a gown, and later encounters the woman from whom he stole it. She is understanding, however, and agrees to lend the garment to Lulu. During the show, it is revealed that Sing Kuo is really Wong, Lulu's father, and Duck Sook introduces the singer to his daughter and then to her grandfather, who has donated three-thousand dollars to the cause. Jien-Sien greets Lulu warmly and all shake hands and return to Jien-Sien's shop to celebrate their reunion.