The Scrooge-like weathy businessman George Melton (Harry Carey), embittered by a bad business experience, gets redemption from his understanding partners, Michael O’Brien (Charles Winninger) and Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith). Alone together on Christmas Eve, they seek companionship by throwing their wallets containing $10 on the snowy sidewalk in a wager that honesty will prevail when a decent person returns one of their wallets and joins them for Christmas dinner. When a down-and-out Texan, James Houston (Richard Carlson), and an equally down-on-her-luck woman, Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker) show up, the bachelors are delighted to unite the pair for what turns out to be a long and rewarding friendship. When the bachelors are killed in a plane crash they come back as ghosts and get to see what happens to the happy young couple. Although successful on his own as a singer, James is too self-centered to appreciate Jean’s unconditional love, he is taken in by a bad woman, and is shot by her angry husband. Determined to rectify young James’ mistake before he is called to heaven, George arranges to bring James back to life, and reunites the chastened young man with Jean. (1940)