Hit man Philip Raven, who's kind to children and cats, kills a blackmailer and is paid off by traitor Willard Gates in hot money. Meanwhile, pert entertainer Ellen Graham, girlfriend of police Lieut. Crane (who's after Raven) is enlisted by a Senate committee to help investigate Gates. Raven, seeking Gates for revenge, meets Ellen on the train; their relationship gradually evolves from that of killer and potential victim to an uneasy alliance against a common enemy.

In 1672, two witches (Jennifer and her father Daniel) were burned by puritan Jonathan Wooley. In revenge, Jennifer cursed all future generations of the Wooley family, that the sons will always marry the wrong woman and be miserable. In the 20th century, a bolt of lightning frees Jennifer and her father from the tree that had kept their souls imprisoned. Jennifer assumes corporeal form and decides to make up-and-coming politician Wallace Wooley, then unhappily engaged, even more miserable by getting him to fall in love with her before his wedding. Wallace is a straight arrow, though, and Jennifer has to resort to a love potion. As we all know, love potions tend to backfire, with comedic results.

苏利文是好莱坞以喜剧走红的年轻导演电影（乔尔·麦克雷 Joel McCrea 饰），但他不满现状，想将下个作品拍成反映社会底层困境的严肃题材。为了体验底层生活，他打扮成身无分文的流浪汉深入民间，但无论他怎么尝试，最后总是又回到了好莱坞。后来他遇到一个事业失败的女演员（维 罗妮卡·莱克 Veronica Lake 饰），让她上车搭了一程，却被误认作小偷送入了警察局。释放之后，苏利文听从女孩的建议，和她结伴一起流浪。这次，他真的成为流浪汉，吃剩饭，睡收容所。最终，苏利文觉得体验足够想要离开收容所时，却被贪婪的流浪汉击晕。一个被火车压死的小偷被误认是苏利文，所有人都以为他死了。与此同时，苏利文醒来之后失忆了，混乱之中打伤一个工人，被判入劳改所6年。他在狱中感受到笑声对他的重要性，当他恢复记忆后，他逐渐认识到喜剧能够带给穷人更多。但是，苏利文遇到了问题，他不...