Anything Goes takes plave aboard the "S.S. American" sailing from New York to england. Among the celebrities on board are beautiful American Heiress Hope Harcourt, her Foppish Fiance Sir Evelyn Oakleigh an admirer of old fine things. Other travelers on board are Bishop Dobson, sherpherding two natively garbed attractive Chinese converts (Ching &Ling), Elisha Whitney, Pompus Wall Street broker. Reno Sweeney, ex-evangelist turned more profitable employments, and her "Angelic Angels" are also passeners on the "S.S. American." Next we meet Billy Crocker, a flunky of E.J. Whitney and old friends with Reno. Billy has not planned to sail but after learning Hope Harcourt (another friend) is marrying the odd-ball Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, he decides to stay aboard as a stowaway and somehow contrive to break up the propossed wedding. Meanwhile Moonface Martin, Public Enemy Number 13--fugitive from the feds and disguised in clergy garb--and his moll Bonnie have boarded the liner. When Dobson is arrested, having been mistaken for Moonface, Moonface ingeniously assumes the title and name of Reverend Dr. Moon.