Emily Blair is the heiress of Blairtown who becomes deaf after meningitis and returns home after years away, having left to search for a cure that never comes. Before leaving, she was engaged to Jeff Stoddard, but the wedding is put on hold because of her illness and the hearing disability.
On her return, she shares a taxi with Dr. Merek Vance, a Blairtown native who rose from less fortunate beginnings and now works as a physician in Pittsburgh. His first impression is that Emily is a terrible snob, though he is surprised to learn that she can read lips.
Emily is unaware that her former fiancé is now involved with her younger sister, Janice Blair, and Jeff is reluctant to tell Emily about the new romance, feeling sympathy for her.
Merek Vance is summoned back to Blairtown to help Doctor Weeks, Blairtown's only physician, in trying to cure Emily. Although he has a record of curing deaf patients in the past, he is disappointed to learn the reason for the summons, but agrees to help as a favor to Weeks.
At a dinner at the Blair residence, Merek tells Emily what he really thinks of her, and it turns out his father used to work in one of the Blair factories, but was fired right before Christmas one year. Merek still remembers how Emily stared at him at the company’s Christmas gathering. Emily is not keen on the idea of letting Merek use her as a "guinea pig," but since she has exhausted all her other alternatives, she eventually agrees to let him try to cure her.
The treatment begins, and Merek tries to cure Emily not only of her deafness, but also of her snobbery. She gains the respect of some factory workers, the Gallos, when she helps the doctor treat their child, Tommy. Merek starts to change his view of Emily, and tells her not to marry Jeff, as she has planned.
Upon their return to the Blair residence, Merek accidentally sees Jeff and Janice together, and understands that they are an item. He keeps the discovery to himself, and doesn't reveal anything to Emily.
Some time later, Merek concludes that his treatment is not working, but he tells her that he has fallen in love with her, despite her snobbish manners. Emily doesn't believe him, and they stop the treatment altogether and Merek goes back to Pittsburgh.
Since Jeff still hasn't told Emily about his love for Janice, Emily starts planning for their wedding again. She hears of a new treatment that Merek has successfully tested on rabbits, and asks him to return and try it on her too. Reluctantly, Merek agrees, but when Emily is given the serum, she falls into a coma.
Devastated, Merek goes back to Pittsburgh. When Emily eventually wakes up from her coma, she discovers that she has regained her hearing. She overhears Jeff telling Janice that he loves her, but she also understands that she herself is in love with Merek. Emily then goes to Pittsburgh to confess her love for Merek, and they reconcile.
