Hitch Hike to Heaven

On a movie set at Paretro Pictures, Melville De La Ney rehearses a love scene with Claudia Revelle as aspiring actress Geraldine "Jerry" Daly watches. In his dressing room, Mel and his mother, Deborah Delaney, discuss the pros and cons of Mel's son Daniel becoming a player with her traveling show, the Delaney Dramatic Players Under Canvas. Meanwhile, another actress, Kitty O'Brien, is trying to convince Gabby, the photographer, that Jerry should star opposite Mel. Claudia then overhears Kitty telling Jerry that she should get to know Mel, and telephones Mel's estranged wife Nadia and tells her to come to Hollywood as soon as possible. Kitty, Jerry and Gabby decide to go to Mel's garden party the next day. At the party, Jerry tosses a rubber ball to Mel, which he misses. In running after it, Jerry pretends to trip and twist her ankle so that Mel will carry her to the house. As he tends to her ankle, they begin to act out the love scene from the movie when Claudia and Nadia burst in with two detectives, who snap photographs. Nadia is attempting to get a divorce, and Kitty and Gabby decide that Jerry should leave town so that Nadia will be unable to subpoena her to testify. Nadia then goes to the president of Paretro Pictures, Philmore Tubbs, and attempts to blackmail the company out of $250,000. As they leave town, Kitty and Jerry break down and are forced to thumb a ride. Just then, the Delaney Players pass in their tour bus and Danny offers them a tow. Their car is hooked up and Danny steers it while Jerry keeps him company. Danny asks if she will practice lines with him, and it turns out that Jerry already knows the part of Camille, which is normally played by Deb. Meanwhile, in the bus, Kitty tries to convince Deb to hire Jerry. At their next stop, Deb is rehearsing when the gout in her foot prevents her from continuing, and Jerry takes her place. Afterward, Jerry and Danny visit a diner, where the cook discusses the scandal that is now front page news. When Jerry learns that Danny is Mel's son, she returns to the tent alone and informs Kitty. Kitty convinces Jerry to stay and play Camille that night as Deb is too ill to perform. The diner's soup maker, Herman Blatz, who knew Deb forty years earlier, hears that her show is in town and decides to attend. After the performance, Blatz goes to Deb's dressing room with candy and flowers, not realizing that the part had been played by Jerry. Despite her gout, Deb agrees to go to a dance hall with Blatz, where they run into Danny and Jerry, who are also celebrating. They discuss the dying theater, and Deb suggests Blatz sponsor them. The show returns to Hollywood, where Mel's reputation has been ruined by the scandal. Tubbs and Mel go to a performance and are greeted by Blatz. When she hears that there are some movie people in the audience, Jerry is convinced Mel has come for revenge. One of the minor players, Edgar, arrives at the performance drunk, so Mel agrees to replace him. During the performance, Mel recognizes Jerry and becomes enraged, so Jerry writes a note for Danny, with whom she has fallen in love, and leaves the theater. In the audience, Tubbs, who has not recognized her, wants to sign her to a movie contract. After missing a few scenes, which Deb is forced to enact, Jerry decides she cannot leave Danny. She returns to her dressing room, where Kitty tells her about the contract. With Gabby's help they decide to stage a kidnapping to explain why Jerry abandoned the performance. Blatz purchases one-half interest in Tubbs's company, ensuring that Deb will become supervisor, and Mel and Danny will continue to act.