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In Hollywood, voluptuous movie star Carla Naples drowns her sorrows in a bottle of brandy.  When her agent, Harold Herman, asks her why she is depressed, Carla confesses that she is pregnant, having secretly married a Mexican bullfighter named Carlos while on a publicity tour in Acapulco four months earlier.  After Carlos was killed in the ring the day after their wedding, Carla tore up the license and now has no proof of the marriage.  Thinking quickly, Harold tells the studio chief that the actress is going into seclusion for five months in order to prepare for her next film, The White Virgin of the Nile, and Carla decides to leave the infant, after its birth, with her childhood sweetheart, Clayton Poole.

Back in their small hometown of Midvale, Indiana, the accident-prone Clayton works as a television repairman.  Sandy Naples, Carla's teenage sister, is hopelessly in love with Clayton, but he still carries a torch for the movie star.  The same night that Carla secretly gives birth to triplets, Sandy asks Clayton to fix her television set.  On his way to the Naples home, Clayton overhears Sandy's intoxicated father, Gigi "Papa" Naples, telling his friends that he will kill Clayton if he finds him with Sandy, having never forgiven the young man for encouraging his oldest daughter to leave home and become an actress.

Afraid for his life, Clayton decides to leave town, but is stopped by Carla, who finds him at their old swimming hole.  There, Clayton tells Carla that he has never stopped thinking about her, and has always dreamed that someday he would rescue her and win her love, like a knight of old.  Though hesitant at first, Carla asks Clayton to be father to her triplets for six months, while she films The White Virgin of the Nile on location in Egypt.  He readily agrees, and in order to keep her secret, Clayton pretends to find the three baby girls on his doorstep.  Though he does not tell her that she is their aunt, Clayton soon enlists Sandy's aid in caring for the triplets.

Learning his daughter is with Clayton, Papa rushes over to the young man's house and immediately falls in love with the babies.  Having noticed a similarity in features between himself and his granddaughters, Papa accuses Sandy of being their mother, but she tells him that she spent her summer vacation in Hollywood having her teeth capped, not bearing children.  The Italian barber soon ascertains the truth when he finds a picture of Carla as an infant in a family album, which even Clayton thinks is a photograph of one of the triplets.  Papa then apologizes to the young man for all the bad things he has said about him and thanks Clayton for helping his oldest daughter.  Although he is complimented for his care of the three girls, Clayton is soon overwhelmed by the responsibility and becomes bedridden with exhaustion.  Mr. Wright, Clayton's boss and chairman of the city council, tries to convince him to give up the infants, but Clayton insists that their mother, "Stella Dallas," will soon return for them.

Meanwhile, the wealthy, but childless Van Cleves begin adoption proceedings for the "foundlings." Sandy, in turn, tries to convince Clayton to marry her, so they can adopt the girls.  Back in Egypt, Carla receives a letter from her father, telling her how well Clayton is taking care of her children and all the sacrifices he is making for them.  Despite Clayton's dedication to the triplets, Judge Jenkins rules that the babies need a "mother," but before the court grants custody to the Van Cleves, Clayton asks for a delay in Jenkins' ruling, then goes to a college in Chicago and becomes a "certified" mother.

Weeks later, Clayton returns to the court with his diploma, but Jenkins still rules against him.  In desperation, Sandy enters the courtroom wearing a wedding gown, with Papa carrying a shotgun close behind her, claiming that the triplets are hers.  Asked under oath if the babies are Papa's grandchildren, Clayton says "Yes," and he and Sandy are immediately married.  Carla, however, issues a press release, admitting she is the mother of the triplets, but also stating that she is married to Clayton.

Faced with a charge of bigamy, Clayton goes into hiding with the triplets until the truth about Carla's secret marriage to Carlos is revealed.  Back in the United States, Carla informs the press that she is engaged to the pleasantly surprised Harold.  Freed of all charges, Clayton begins his new life as husband to Sandy.  Nine months later, Clayton is shocked to learn that he has just become the father of quintuplets.

Soon thereafter, a statue of Clayton and his five babies is erected in front of the Midvale courthouse.