Abroad with Two Yanks

As their troop ship approaches the Australian coast, U.S. Marines Biff Koraski and Jeff Reardon plan their romantic conquests ashore. The handsome Jeff often steals the burly Biff's girl friends, and so Biff decides to conceal his meeting with Joyce Stuart, a pretty Australian who is eager to thank him for rescuing Cyril North, an old family friend. Upon discovering that Joyce is looking for Biff, Jeff poses as his rival and Joyce takes him home to meet her family. As Joyce and her father question Jeff about Cyril's courageous rescue, Biff rings the doorbell and introduces himself. When an astonished Joyce exclaims that Biff is presently seated in their living room, Biff explains that the man who claims to be Biff is really Jeff Reardon, and has suffered delusions ever since landing on his head during a parachute jump. Soon after, Cyril arrives and suggests humoring the deluded Jeff by pretending to believe that he is Biff. To spite Jeff, Biff then claims to be Jeff and invites Joyce for a ride while Mr. Stuart entertains the bewildered Jeff with a bagpipe concert. The next morning, Biff returns to the barracks after his date with Joyce and gleefully informs Jeff that the Stuarts believe that he is insane. Formulating a scheme to exploit his "insanity," Jeff phones the Stuart house, claims to be Marine physician Dr. French, and after diagnosing Jeff as a schizophrenic, asks Joyce to humor his patient by granting all his requests. Consequently, when Joyce accepts Jeff's invitation to go for a drive, Cyril and Mr. Stuart are alarmed until Biff informs them of Jeff's ruse. The next day, Joyce goes to the camp to discuss Jeff's case with Dr. French, and when the doctor denies ever speaking to her, Joyce realizes she has been tricked. That evening, at a dance held at the Stuart house, Biff spouts poetry to Joyce and then proposes to her. After Joyce rejects Biff's proposal, Jeff comes into the garden, feigning insanity, and Joyce rebukes him for his hoax. When Jeff brazenly sweeps Joyce onto the dance floor, the shy Cyril reluctantly confides to Biff that he is in love with Joyce. Encouraging Cyril to court Joyce openly, Biff offers to act as his coach and feeds him the lines Jeff uses to woo women. Realizing that Biff is impeding his romantic pursuits, Jeff takes a slug at Biff and Biff knocks him unconscious and stuffs him in a bird cage. The next day, Jeff declares that he is in love with Joyce and convinces his fellow marines to contribute to a fund to repay Joyce for her hospitality. With the proceeds, Jeff buys an engagement ring and is on his way to propose to Joyce when Biff tricks him into stealing the colonel's car. After Biff and Jeff are jailed for their car escapade, the sergeant offers to release the inmates if they agree to perform as chorus girls in his follies show. Biff and Jeff eagerly consent, and attend the rehearsal, attired as women. At the rehearsal hall, Jeff sneaks out a window, followed by Biff, and both proceed to the Stuart residence, where a charity bazaar is in progress. Cyril, an ardent customer at Joyce's kissing booth, has screwed up his courage to propose when Jeff, still dressed as a woman, pretends to faint, thus sending Cyril scurrying for the smelling salts. Furious at Jeff's interference, Biff slugs him, thus causing consternation among the dignified guests who think that they are witnessing two ladies throttling each other. When the sergeant and his M.P.s arrive in search of Biff and Jeff, the two duck in the bushes, where they overhear Joyce tell Cyril that she has fallen in love with a man in uniform. Jeff, thinking that Joyce is speaking of himself, pops out of the bushes, engagement ring in hand. When Joyce announces that she is in love with Cyril, Jeff sheepishly hands Joyce the ring as a token of gratitude. Just then, the M.P.s find Jeff and Biff and escort the gowned marines down the garden path and back to the post.