Adapted from a play by Hans Szekely and P. A. Stemmle, a woman
steals a pearl necklace and smuggles it out with an American but
falls in love with him.
In Paris car engineer Tom Bradley (Gary Cooper) is given two
weeks vacation by Gibson (William Frawley) and drives with a sign.
Madeleine de Beaupre (Marlene Dietrich) orders an expensive pearl
necklace from Aristide Duvalle (Ernest Cossart) to be delivered
to her husband Dr. Pauquet (Alan Mowbray); but she tells him she
is the wife of jeweler Duvalle, who she says is demented and will
present a bill. Duvalle tells her he will take it back if she
changes her mind. She leaves while Dr. Pauquet treats Duvalle
as a patient until they learn neither is married.
Tom drives and stops for a photo, but Madeleine's car splashes
him. Her horn gets stuck, and he fixes it. After she passes him
in dust, he reconnects the horn. She asks his help, and he fixes
it again. At customs inspection she puts the necklace in his coat.
Tom is fined for hiding cigarettes. She asks his help again and
gets a ride. When Tom puts on the wrong coat, she takes his car.
Tom finds his car later wrecked. At a hotel Carlos Margoli (John
Halliday) calls on Madeleine and asks for the pearls. A policeman
(Akim Tamiroff) tells her an American had his car stolen. Tom
comes in. Carlos says his niece Madeleine will be disowned. She
apologizes and explains to Tom. The three drive to an inn. Madeleine
wears imitation pearls. After dinner she sings "Awake In
a Dream." Carlos does magic tricks and gets the pearls for
Madeleine. Carlos warns her to go to bed soon. She acts sleepy
as he declares his love. She hears police sirens and tells Carlos
she is afraid. In the moonlight Tom kisses Madeleine.
Carlos wakes Madeleine, takes the necklace, and says he will
take Tom to town; but she urges Tom to stay. Carlos goes alone
to Madrid. Tom and Madeleine have a romantic breakfast. A week
later she finds Olga (Zeffie Tilbury) has arrived. Olga says they
can sell the pearls in Madrid. Carlos appears and demands Madeleine
sell the pearls. Madeleine says she is quitting being a countess.
Olga dares her to tell Tom about herself. Tom shows Madeleine
he booked the bridal suite on a ship and corrects lies he told
her. Madeleine says they are from different worlds but admits
she stole the necklace, saying good-bye. At dinner Tom implies
he spanked Madeleine to give her another chance. They discuss
possible war and America. Tom asks for the pearls, but Carlos
pulls a gun. Tom kicks it away and demands the necklace. Carlos
runs out. Madeleine and Tom return the pearls to Duvalle and plan
to marry. Madeleine gets parole, and they wed.
Amid a clever jewelry heist and romance of opposites a
brief dialog indicates awareness of likely war that will drag
America in to settle it. The story implies that the strong American
will triumph over the criminal Europeans.