Ira Collins, a middle-aged con man, prevents Sally Shea from arrest at a nightclub for being a pickpocket by pretending she is his wife. Sally was only trying to attract the attention of P. J. Quinterfield, Jr., who produces Broadway shows, while his father, Quinterfield, Sr., controls their millions. Sally disappears while Ira talks with Francis X. Rush, a detective who has been on his trail for years. Ira swears he has gone straight, however, and returns home only to find Sally there. Sally reads him an article in the newspaper about "Death Valley Cora" Keene, who is on her way to New York City to see an ear specialist and sell her gold mine. Ira conceives of a plan which will result in Sally getting a part in one of Quinterfield, Jr.'s plays, and himself getting enough money from Quinterfield, Sr. to buy his own island. Sally dresses like a flamboyant cowgirl and greets reporters and dignitaries as Cora, while Ira holds the real Cora hostage while pretending to be an ear specialist. At Grand Central Station, Sally bumps into Neil Graham, a handsome aviator who is unemployed because he flew a passenger plane under the Brooklyn Bridge. She accidentally crushes his hat, and is surprised to see him later at Dr. Gillgallon's office, where she unintentionally sits on his hat. Sally tries to maintain her false identity by going to the doctor, but he throws her out of the office because she is perfectly healthy. Neil stands up for her to the doctor, and when they leave together, Sally buys a car on Cora's credit and hires Neil as her chauffeur, inspired by the fact that like herself, he seems to do everything on an impulse. Ira makes a deal with opera producers Weber and Fields to contribute $100,000 of Cora's money, for which the producers offer to have an immediate performance given of their opera-in-the-works and give Ira a box seat next to Quinterfield, Sr. At the opera, Sally plays the role of "Death Valley Cora" to the hilt, behaving crudely and scaring the Quinterfields with her gun. Nonetheless, when Quinterfield, Sr., hears Ira talking of a way to manage his private stock of gold, he takes interest and asks Ira to push his wheelchair along the corridor while they talk. Due to Quinterfield, Jr.'s sabotage, a wheel falls off the chair, and Ira saves Quinterfield, Sr. from sure death, which prompts Quinterfield, Sr. to seal their deal. The opera continues full of mishaps, until Sally stands up in her box and begins to sing, which changes the entire opera and prompts the audience to leave. Sally falls in love with Neil and tells Ira she wants none of the money from their deal, although she will continue to pretend to be Cora for his sake. Sheriff Jeff Holloway from Death Valley arrives drunk, and realizing Sally is not the real Cora, wants in on their deal. Rush, who has been Sally's bodyguard, tells her that Neil is a con man who is only interested in her money. Believing herself duped, Sally throws Neil out and goes back in on the deal with Ira. The real Cora escapes, and Quinterfield, Jr. attempts to commit suicide by leaping off of a high gas tank, while holding the gold warehouse receipts. Sally sends the only doctor she knows, Dr. Gillgallon, to the scene of the attempted suicide, but Quinterfield, Jr. has fainted and been carried off the tank, unharmed, and suddenly finding his courage, starts a fight. Everyone is arrested, and during the police line up, Neil reveals he is a government agent who has been following Cora because her mine is a fake. During his investigation he discovered Quinterfield, Sr. and Ira's deal. Ira is sent to an island, Alcatraz, and Neil hopes Sally gets an acquittal, because they are in love.
