Boxer Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) is killed in a plane crash on the way to a championship fight. Unfortunately, Joe wasn't supposed to die and is brought up to heaven too soon by an overeager angel (Edward Everett Horton). The angel's boss, Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains), sends Joe back to earth in the body of a murdered playboy to straighten out his life and resume his boxing career. Along the way, he meets an idealistic young woman (Evelyn Keyes) and falls head over heels in love.