AllMovie

Manhattan Heartbeat is a somewhat toned-down remake of the pre-Production Code melodrama Bad Girl (1931). Newlyweds Johnny (Robert Sterling) and Dottie (Virginia Gilmore) have troubles living within their budget, thanks to Dottie's spendthrift habits. An airplane mechanic, Johnny begins accepting dangerous test-flight jobs to make ends meet. But Dottie doesn't mend her ways until she finds out that she's pregnant, at which point all is forgiven and the young couple hunkers down to the day-by-day responsibilities of married life. Joan Davis does yeoman duty in the film's central comedy-relief role. Like its cinematic predecessor, Manhattan Heartbeat was based on a play by Vina Delmar and Brian Marlow.