A House Is Not a Home

Polly Adler arrives in New York as a poor, naïve Polish immigrant who must support herself by working in a sweatshop. The brutal conditions of immigrant life set the stage for a hard-edged transformation ahead. Her early struggles establish the contrast with the opulence she later encounters.

She is sexually assaulted by her boss, an act that leaves her shamed in the eyes of her housemates. Blaming her for the incident, they force her to move out and fend for herself. This traumatic moment becomes a catalyst for her later choices and vulnerability.

A friend leads Polly to a restaurant where she meets Frank Costigan, a bootlegger who offers her a chance at a new life. He lets her live in a plush apartment he uses for an affair, pulling her into a world of luxury and danger. Their relationship marks Polly's entry into organized crime circles.

After her relationship with Costigan falters, Polly becomes the madam of a high-class brothel, arranging meetings and steering cash between political figures and gangsters. She uses her influence to pay off police and shield her operation from scrutiny. Her ascent shows a ruthless efficiency behind her glamour.

At a club, Polly notices Casey Booth, a singer and trumpeter who had once protected her from danger. She quietly helps launch his career by recommending him to a producer for a musical. The encounter deepens Polly's conflicting mix of affection and professional ambition.

Casey secures a job on a new musical and begins a professional relationship with Polly. He later reaches out, asking to dine with her, while she keeps her criminal life discreet from him. The budding romance complicates Polly's already double life.

Casey proposes marriage to Polly, hoping for a normal life together. Polly finally reveals the truth about her work as a madam, leaving him horrified and unsure about their future. The revelation creates a chasm between love and loyalty.

Costigan becomes the top enforcer for mob boss Lucky Luciano and backs Polly's business, helping it expand to Park Avenue with high-class call girls. His loyalty stabilizes her empire and deepens the criminal entanglements. The alliance marks the peak of her influence in the underworld.

As the district attorney closes in on Luciano for brothel connections, it emerges that a brother of a key member is extorting the trade. The brothers fight, and both are shot dead, underscoring the volatile violence behind Polly's operation. The crackdown foreshadows looming danger for everyone involved.

Polly's friend invites her to a special party at Vito's, which serves as a setup that brings Casey back into her life. The social gathering becomes a stage for old loyalties, betrayals, and fragile forgiveness. The party environment heightens the tension between personal affection and criminal risk.

During the encounter at Vito's, Casey asks Polly for forgiveness and for marriage, but Costigan again asserts that their union is impossible. Polly grapples with love, danger, and the costs of her double life. The tension reaches a critical turning point as she weighs what she wants against what she must protect.

Polly tearfully tells Casey that it is best they part and then returns to the party, choosing to stay in her world of wealth, power, and danger. The scene closes with her returning to the same life she built, leaving Casey to face the consequences of his choices. The ending preserves her grip on the operation while hinting at an unfulfilled romance.