Based on the Laszlo Aladar play, a couple of thieves get together
to rob a wealthy lady, but he falls in love with her.
In a Venice hotel Gaston Monescu (Herbert Marshall) plans a romantic
evening with Lily (Miriam Hopkins). She pretends to know aristocrats.
In a suite François Filiba (Edward Everett Horton) tells
police he was robbed by a doctor. Lily tells Gaston he robbed
the man, but he says she took the wallet from him. Gaston shakes
it loose to get it back. The two thieves love each other.
Perfume owner Mariette Colet (Kay Francis) tells Adolf Giron
(C. Aubrey Smith) she won't cut salaries. Mariette tells François
and the Major (Charles Ruggles) she loves neither. At the opera
with the Major, Colet loses her bag with diamonds. Lily advises
Gaston to return the bag to Mariette for the reward. A Trotskyite
lectures Mariette, and Gaston gives Mariette her bag, criticizing
the Major's love letter and her make-up. Gaston watches Mariette
open her safe and advises her to keep more cash there. She hires
him as her secretary, and he takes control, increasing her burglary
insurance. Gaston dictates to his secretary Lily. Mariette asks
Lily to take over some of Gaston's work. Lily is jealous and wants
to rob Mariette soon. Gaston and Mariette go out and say goodnight
at 2 a.m.
At a party Adolf asks Mariette about Gaston, and she tells Gaston
to go over the books with Adolf. Gaston quarrels with Adolf and
gets rid of him. François asks Gaston if he was ever in
Venice, but Gaston says no. Gaston orders train tickets to Berlin
and sends roses to Mariette in his memory. Gaston plans the next
day with Mariette and says good-bye. He insists she go out, but
she asks him to kiss her. Now Gaston wants her to stay, but Mariette
goes. Gaston calls Lily to postpone their trip. François
recalls that Gaston was the doctor in Venice. Adolf insists on
seeing Gaston and says he must leave; but Gaston says that Adolf
is a crook too. Gaston finds Lily opening Mariette's safe, and
Lily takes the cash. In Gaston's room Mariette takes off her jewelry
and opens her safe. Gaston tells her that Adolf has been robbing
her. Gaston says who he is and admits he took the money; but he
is in love with her. Lily appears and says she took the money.
Lily scolds Gaston and Mariette, then leaves with the money. Gaston
says good-bye to Mariette so that she won't be visited by police.
Gaston shows her the pearls he took for Lily. In the cab Lily
has the pearls, and Gaston the money.
Director Lubitsch gives a certain style to this sophisticated
comedy in which all the sex is merely implied; but I suspect the
censors would not allow this movie to be shown later because the
thieves get away with their crimes.