Salute for Three (1943)

Press agent Jimmy Gates gets an idea while watching a New York parade, for a returned war hero Sergeant Buzz McAllister, with his chief client, singer Judy Ames; Dona Drake, leader of an all-girl orchestra; his photographer Foggy, and his secretary Myrt. Jimmy, thinking Judy needs publicity in order to get a singing job on a radio program, thinks that a romance between her and the war hero would be just the ticket. Judy isn't too warm on the idea but agrees to go ahead for Jimmy's sake, with whom she thinks she is in love. She agrees to work on Buzz that night at the Manhattan Canteen, a converted night club where show business people entertain and wait on service men. Foggy is assigned to get pictures of Judy and Buzz together but fails through ineptness. Buzz escorts Judy home in a rainstorm and, while helping her out of the taxi, slips and falls into a deep puddle. Judy asks him to come in so she can dry his soaking-wet uniform on the kitchen stove. Foggy gains entrance to the apartment via the dumbwaiter and snaps a picture of Buzz in his underwear. The next morning Buzz tells Jimmy that he intends to marry Judy, which is going further than he had intended. He also decides he can't use the compromising - but innocent - photo for publicity purposes but does announce their - he thinks - publicity-only engagement. That clinches the deal for Judy to get a radio program called "The Girl I Left Behind." Buzz proposes to Judy, who realizes she loves Buzz and not Jimmy, and they, not knowing that Jimmy has announced their "engagement", decide to keep it a secret.