The Second Face

After an emotional discussion with her roommate, Phyllis Holmes, Claire Elwood runs out of her apartment and drives away in a hurry. Phyllis follows in her own car, but she collides with a truck, and her face strikes the windshield. Later, in the hospital, Phyllis thinks back to the events leading up to the accident: In the Fresno, California, home of Paul Curtis, for whom Phyllis works as a secretary, Mrs. Lockridge, the housekeeper, reproaches Paul for having withdrawn from life after his divorce and encourages him to take Phyllis out. Ignoring Mrs. Lockridge's suggestion, Paul informs Phyllis, an aspiring clothes designer, that he sent some of her fashion ideas to his friend Claire, who has arranged a job for Phyllis in an exclusive Los Angeles dress shop and invited her to share her apartment. After saying goodbye to Paul's young daughter Annie, Phyllis drives to Claire's apartment, where she meets Claire's fiancé, Allan Wesson, and their debonair friend, Jerry Allison. Jerry is disappointed to see that Phyllis is a plain-looking woman, and he quickly changes his plans to accompany her on a double date with Claire and Allan. The next day, when Claire takes Phyllis to the dress shop, the manager, Mr. Moran, claims there are no job openings, but he privately tells Claire that his shop hires only beautiful women. Phyllis tries to find another job, but is rejected because of her appearance, so Claire persuades Allan, an advertising executive, to hire Phyllis as his secretary. Phyllis continues to design dresses on the side, and Jerry uses his contacts in the fashion world to sell them, although he refuses to spend any time with her or give her credit for her work. Meanwhile, hoping to land the important Hamilton account, Allan follows Jerry's advice to ingratiate himself with Hamilton's beautiful, spoiled daughter Lynn, and they quickly become romantically involved. When Paul comes to work in Los Angeles for two months, he and Phyllis spend a lot of time together, but Phyllis insists on making Paul believe that she dates many different men. Jerry calls to tell Phyllis that her new line of suits has sold, and asks her to meet him at Allan's office the next night for a date. When Phyllis arrives, however, the intercom is on and she hears Jerry on the phone with Allan, speaking disparagingly of her. Angry and humiliated, Phyllis slaps Jerry and returns to the apartment, and when Paul asks her to return with him to Fresno, she tearfully rejects him, believing he only wants her because he feels more secure with an ugly woman. Later, at the office, Lynn announces that she and Allan are going to Honolulu, and Allan fires Phyllis. When Phyllis gets home, she finds a telegram from Allan informing her that he and Lynn have been married. Claire sees the telegram, puts a gun in her purse and heads out to kill Allan, but is pursued by Phyllis, who then crashes her car. After five weeks in the hospital, the doctors tell Phyllis that an anonymous man has been paying her medical bills, and a plastic surgeon is brought in to examine her face. When Phyllis is discharged from the hospital, with her face still bandaged, Jerry drives her home, but Phyllis is cold to him and ends their partnership. After the last operation is performed, Phyllis' bandages are removed, and she is now beautiful. With new confidence, Phyllis returns to the dress shop and coolly negotiates a job with a high salary. She also draws the attention of wealthy Todd Williams, who brings her into his social circle. Phyllis remains curious about her mysterious benefactor, though, and evidence in the insurance company files suggests that Jerry is the man. Later, Jerry tells Claire that as he and Phyllis are now engaged, he will have a share in the dress shop the two women are opening, and he mentions that Allan's marriage to Lynn has already ended. When Phyllis comes home, Jerry suggests that they elope, but at that moment, Mrs. Lockridge arrives, in response to a telegram from Claire. When Mrs. Lockridge hears that Jerry is taking the credit for helping Phyllis, she breaks her vow of secrecy and admits that Paul paid for everything. Phyllis immediately drives to Fresno and declares her love for Paul.