This was Hayworth's first starring role in a big-budgeted film from her home studio, Columbia Pictures.

While the film was in production, Life magazine put her on its cover, and featured a photo of Hayworth kneeling on a bed in a nightgown, which soon became one of the most widely distributed pin-ups of all time.

The picture was very successful at the box office, turning Hayworth into a major star, and provided a welcome boost to Astaire, who felt his career had flagged since he had parted ways with Ginger Rogers.

Theater owner and womanizer Martin Cortland asks for the help of his choreography manager, Robert Curtis, to impress beautiful headstrong dancer, Sheila, in his classes.

Proud of himself, he changes the subject, and tells her that he remembered their anniversary because his assistant reminded him, and to check his jacket pocket, in which she finds the bracelet instead of the backscratcher.

Martin's wife is unimpressed with his attempted manipulation and states that he is slipping; for all the affairs he has had before, he has always had better excuses, but now he is just boring.

Robert shows up, and Martin asks him to pretend that he and Sheila are dating, and that the bracelet was a present from him to her because he wife has threatened to divorce him.

Sheila opens the box, and immediately realizes it has all been a setup for Martin's wife's benefit, but she shocks Robert by gratefully kissing him for it twice.

Robert arrives at Sheila's apartment, but before letting him in, she asks Tom and Louise to wait in her bedroom.

While Sheila is talking to Robert, Tom asks if there is a gun in the house, and Louise pulls it out of a bedside table.

Robert rushes back to Martin's office, telling him that he is in danger and needs to join the army before he is shot to death.

While in training at the army camp, he receives a letter from Sheila returning the bracelet, stating that she did not feel that it was right to keep it, and congratulating him for "being so chivalrous".

After a series of confusions in which he meets Tom as an officer, Robert finds himself doing punishment duty in the guardhouse.

While there, a group of African American Soldiers in the guardhouse play music, and Robert conveniently tap dances to it.

Sheila and her aunt show up to visit Tom and his mother at their house on the camp, and are told they will have to wait a while because the captain is busy.

When he finishes, he notices her and comes over to talk, pretending to be an Army captain inspecting the guardhouse.

Shenanigans ensue with Robert stealing a captain's uniform and showing up (without permission from his leadership) to where Sheila is staying at Tom's mother's house.

Tom's mother introduces Robert as a captain from Washington D.C., there to do an inspection on officer relations with enlisted men.

Robert uncomfortably suggests a little guardhouse duty to learn his lesson, and adds that he is sure that the thief is already suffering for having stolen them.

Sheila tells Aunt Louise that she thinks Robert will propose to her that night, and that she still loves him.

Martin confesses his machinations of adulterous behavior to Sheila, who embraces him in relief and calls on her new husband, who illegally tricked her into marriage at the guardhouse.

Swiv and Blain attempt to break into the guardhouse to free Robert, not aware that he is already on his way to the honeymoon with Sheila.

The dance director was Robert Alton, Astaire's second-most-frequent choreographic collaborator, after Hermes Pan.

The choreography explores a diverse range of musical rhythms, some of which are artfully juxtaposed in Cole Porter's score.