Careless Lady

At her country club in a town near New York, Sally Brown, a dowdily dressed young woman, watches the amateur state golf championship with her cousin, Ardis Delafield. Sally is infatuated with the winner, Judd Carey, but she finds that he is more interested in Ardis, a divorcée who has lived abroad. Sally, who is leaving for Europe in two days, asks Judd to meet her in New York the next day and take her to a speakeasy. When he says he can't, Ardis explains that men "aren't interested any longer in a sheet of virgin white paper--they want something with some writing on it." Sally inquires how she could get experience, "in a nice way," and Ardis replies that the only "nice" way is to get married. In New York, Sally becomes a blonde and buys some fancy dresses. She meets Yvette Logan, who works at the dress store, and Yvette, at Sally's request, takes her to a penthouse speakeasy. When the place is raided, Sally is arrested. She mistakenly takes the coat of a man who tried to flirt with her, Stephen Illington, and the police, seeing his name in the coat, assume she is his wife. The charges are dismissed, and after Yvette tells her that she will have more fun in Paris if people think she is married, she travels as Mrs. Stephen Illington. On the ocean liner, she meets Mrs. Cartwright, who knew Stephen as a child, and learns that he is wealthy. Mrs. Cartwright introduces Sally to Señor Luis Pareda, who escorts her in Paris. Many men flirt with her, and she encourages them, but denies them their requests for an hour, or even a moment, of love. When Stephen registers at the same hotel as Sally, he is surprised to learn that his "wife" is staying there. He interrupts a party Sally is giving and kisses her, which causes her to blush. Attracted to Sally, Stephen takes the room adjoining hers, but she requests that he not embarrass her again. Stephen warns her that the man who has been pursuing her, Rodriquez, has the worst reputation in Paris. He follows them to a cafe, and she indignantly accuses him of trying to take away her freedom. Although Mrs. Cartwright also warns her about Rodriquez, Sally accompanies him to his home, where he exhibits a nude painting, which, he suggestively implies, reminds him of her. She then asks him to take her home, but he takes her in his arms instead. Stephen, who has followed them, climbs up a trellis and breaks in as they are struggling. He hits Rodriquez and takes Sally out to a taxi, where she cries and apologizes. Back at the hotel, they are about to kiss, when two friends of his, who had met Sally back home, interrupt and see her in a negligée. The next day, Stephen buys an engagement ring, but he finds that Sally has sailed. Back home, when word spreads that she is married, Sally explains that she and her "husband" have since separated. At a party Ardis gives, Sally is now of great interest to the men, especially Judd, because of her "unhappy marriage." Stephen, invited by Ardis, gives his name as "Gerald Brown" and acts like he does not know Sally. She faints when she sees him, and when she revives, lashes out at him. Stephen explains that he tried to save her embarrassment by using another name. After Ardis tells him that Sally is in love with Judd, Stephen succeeds in making Sally jealous by going riding with Ardis. Upset, Sally accepts Judd's marriage proposal, and Stephen decides to leave. When Judd learns that that there is no record in Paris of the marriage, rumors abound that Sally had an illicit affair there. Seeing that this upsets Judd, she indignantly refuses to explain. Stephen, however, returns and states that they were married not in Paris but in Deauville, and Sally explodes in anger at Judd and Ardis for their hypocrisy. Stephen then convinces Sally that he really loves her, and they decide to get married that evening.