August Week-end

Businessman George Washburne receives a visit from Claire Barry, who asks for an advance on her next quarter's allowance. He tells her that her father's estate, which he administers, has dried up and that he has paid her allowance for some time out of his own pocket so she will be indebted to him. He then invites her to visit for the weekend and telephones Kim Sherwood, her boyfriend, offering to pay all his debts and give him a job in the firm if he will marry his daughter Midge. George and Alma, his wife, want Midge to rise to the top socially and Kim has a certain amount of status, though he is in debt. He agrees to the arrangement and promises not to involve himself with anyone else. George then calls Alma to tell her that Claire will be visiting for the weekend, and Alma, who suspects her husband's feelings for Claire, invites Kim to foil his plans. Two other weekend guests, Dave Maxwell and Ethel Ames, accompany Claire and Kim on the drive to the Washburnes', during which Ethel prods Dave about his romantic feelings for Midge. At the house, Ronnie Washburne enters and begins to preach to his parents from his Proletarian Handbook. He then goes into the garden to speak with Spencer, the gardener, and Spencer's daughter Elinor. Spencer explains that he was ruined financially by George and forced into servitude. After all of the guests have arrived, Midge, Ethel, Dave and Ronnie decide to go dancing while Kim, Claire, George and Alma stay and play bridge. The dancers take Ronnie's car, which, due to his maniacal driving, forces an on-coming taxi off the road and into a ditch. The taxi is carrying Max Steinfeld, George's attorney, who is on his way to the house to inform George that the government is after him for tax evasion. Distraught by the news, George asks Claire if she will meet him in the living room after everyone has gone to bed. After bed, Claire sneaks out to meet George, who tells her the news and asks her to leave the country with him. She refuses and begins to return to her room, when Kim calls her into his room as Ethel watches. The next day, Ethel receives a letter from a bill collector for $1,800 and attempts to blackmail Kim for the money. That night, the group decides to play a game that requires that all the lights be turned out. Once it is dark, Ethel screams, faints, and discovers upon arousal that her pearls are missing. They also notice that Ronnie and Elinor have taken advantage of the darkness to elope. Ethel then tells the group about Claire being in Kim's room, causing Kim to declare that he and Claire have decided to marry. Outside, Spencer catches Ronnie and Elinor trying to escape and forces them to return to the house. After a brief search, George finds Ethel's pearls in a potted plant, and Claire deduces that the theft was an insurance scam perpetrated by Ethel herself. Claire convinces Ethel to tell the truth and Ronnie receives his parents' blessing. After Claire thanks Kim for lying to protect her reputation, they decide to get engaged for real.