Cover Girl is a 1944 American comedy musical film starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. The film tells the story of a chorus girl given a chance at stardom when she is offered an opportunity to be a highly paid cover girl. The film was directed by Charles Vidor, and was one of the most popular musicals of the war years.
Rusty (Rita Hayworth) is a chorus girl at a nightclub run by her boyfriend Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly). Fellow showgirl Maurine Martin enters a contest to be on the cover of Vanity magazine, so Rusty tries out as well. When Maurine is given a lukewarm evaluation by Cornelia Jackson (Eve Arden), she sabotages Rusty's chances, giving her terrible advice on how to act toward Cornelia. Cornelia's boss, magazine editor John Coudair (Otto Kruger), decides to check out Maurine at Danny's nightclub, but his eye is immediately drawn to Rusty. It turns out that 40 years earlier, he had become instantly smitten with showgirl Maribelle Hicks, whom Rusty looks exactly like; he later discovers that Maribelle is Rusty's recently deceased grandmother.
Danny is worried that, with her newfound fame, Rusty will leave him. She is quite willing to stay if only Danny would ask her. John brings along impresario Noel Wheaton (Lee Bowman) to see Rusty perform; Noel is impressed by both her beauty and talent. Backstage, he offers her a job. Danny does not want to stand in her way, so he picks an argument to send her packing. Rusty becomes a star on Broadway after appearing in a musical produced by Wheaton, and decides to marry him. At the last second, however, she leaves the wedding and reunites with Danny.