Veteran city dweller Edna Baker meets Fred Stevens, from Schenectady, on a train bound for New York City, where Fred hopes to make it as a songwriter. Once in New York, Edna gives Fred a tour of the city and, beneath a summer's moon in the middle of a February snowfall, Fred writes the lyrics to "June Moon." Fred's talent is limited to his ability to rhyme malapropisms, but he eagerly seeks out composer Paul Sears, who had one hit three years ago and is in bad need of a lyricist. Paul's sister-in-law, Eileen Fletcher, urges Paul to befriend Fred so she can get hold of his $1,200 life savings. She then wines and dines Fred on his own money, and he neglects Edna. When Fred presents "June Moon" to music publishers Junior Goebel and Sam Hart, he erases his dedication to Edna, then launches into a wretched a cappella rendition of his song. The audition is a miserable failure, but Hart, who is reluctantly involved with Eileen, gives Fred a $2,500 advance on "June Moon" as a payoff to rid himself of Eileen. Fred innocently believes Hart loved the song and lets Eileen convince him to buy her an expensive engagement ring. Paul's wife Lucille, meanwhile, has her eyes on an expensive dress and when Paul refuses to buy it for her, she accepts a male admirer's offer to buy it. Meanwhile, Fred continues to break dates with Edna, whom he really loves. Pianist Maxie Schwartz intervenes to save Fred by informing Edna that Hart has vowed never to publish "June Moon" and that Fred will never make it as a songwriter. When Lucille walks into the office in her new dress, Eileen tells Paul that she and Fred bought it for her. When Fred sees Eileen condoning Lucille's avaricious infidelity, and Paul informs him that Eileen was Hart's mistress, he finally realizes he was "goin' around with a bad woman," and returns to Edna. The couple decides to settle down in Schenectady, where Fred will return to his job at Eastern Electric Co. and write rhymes for Edna's ears only.
