Larry Poole (Bing Crosby), in prison on a false charge, promise an inmate that when he gets out he will look up and help out a family. The family turns out to be a young girl, Patsy Smith (Edith Fellows), and her Gramp Smith (Donald Meek) who need lots of help. This delays Larry from following his dream and going to Venice and becoming a gondolier. Instead he helps Gramp and Patsy with various schemes and meets a pretty welfare worker, Susan Sprague (Madge Evans) whose job is to make sure Patsy gets a proper upbringing. Larry, Gramps and Patsy try various schemes, including opening an ill-fated chicken restaurant with the help of Henry, a local band leader (Louis Armstrong) and Larry becomes a street singer and, Susan takes a dim view of Patsy's welfare under the guardianship of Larry and Gramps, and starts proceedings to have Patsy placed in an orphanage.