After graduating, Andy goes to New York to get a job, and a woman helps him find one; but he is rescued from her by his father and friend Betsy.
Betsy Booth (Judy Garland) graduates in New York and hopes to marry Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney). She calls James Hardy (Lewis Stone) that she is coming. Andy comes home at two a.m. and tells his father he broke off with Polly (Ann Rutherford). Happy Andy tells his helping mother Emily (Fay Holden) he graduated. Andy finds Betsy polishing his car. James urges Andy to go to college. Andy and Polly say good-bye. Andy goes to New York with Betsy to get a job. Andy rents a room, but females are not allowed. He learns of a job as office boy from dancer Jimmy Frobisher (Ray McDonald), who quit. Andy waits for the boss while Betsy drives his car around. Receptionist Jennitt Hicks (Patricia Dane) and Andy order food, and Andy pays with $10. Andy does not get the job, and Jennitt takes him to get his change. He buys her perfume for $15, and he takes her home in a cab. Jennitt gives Andy the perfume back. Betsy followed him and complains he calls her a child. Andy gives the perfume to her.
James and Emily Hardy miss Andy, who wrote he has a job. Andy asks Jennitt to cover for him. Andy can't find a job, and in the park Betsy offers to help. Andy says he has $5.65. He gives peanuts to homeless Jimmy and sneaks him into his room, paying $5.40 for another week. Betsy calls James that Andy has no job, and James tells Emily he is going to New York. Andy tells Jimmy he got him a tryout. Jennitt brings Andy a letter his father is coming. She got Andy the job as office boy. Andy is hungry and nervous. He gets ink on his hands and face and then faints. He eats dinner with Jennitt and dances with her. She paid and kisses him. Andy finds Jimmy dead in his room and says he will help with the funeral. Betsy tells Jennitt that Andy will be late and sees her new fur coat.
Andy learns he put letters in the wrong envelopes and expects to be fired; but his boss keeps him on, because he admitted his mistake. James Hardy arrives and takes Andy to lunch, urging him to go to college and be faithful to his future wife. James calls on Betsy, who is worried about Andy with "wolfess" Jennitt. Betsy finds out who paid for Jennitt's fur coat and goes to Paul McWilliams (John Eldredge). On a date Andy takes Jennitt home and kisses her. Paul comes in and takes the coat from his wife Jennitt. Andy is disillusioned by her loose morals. James and Betsy find Andy working on a car and planning to go to college. James calls Emily, who cries.
Censors insisted that Jimmy's death not be suicide,
and even James' advising Andy to be chaste until he marries was
suspect in a public movie. Andy makes his usual mistakes but returns
to his father's morality.