Artists and Models Abroad

Patricia Harper sits down for dinner with Mrs. Isabel Channing and Elliott Winthrop. She voices a longing for a simple, ordinary life away from wealth and propriety. The moment sets up a clash between obligation and personal freedom that drives the early action.

During the dinner, Elliott reveals he will be the U.S. ambassador to France. He is suddenly summoned to the U.S. Consulate to handle an urgent problem at the gate. The news foreshadows travel and upheaval for Patricia.

At the consulate, Buck Boswell and his American dance troupe petition for emergency passage back to the U.S.; Elliott refuses, citing budget constraints. Buck vows to secure their return and leads the troupe to an expensive Paris hotel to arrange lodging. The encounter marks the start of the troupe's involvement in the story.

The troupe convinces the hotel owner that they have money to pay later, allowing them to move into rooms they cannot truly afford. The owner is swayed by the illusion of wealth Americans project. This setup seeds the trouble that follows.

The next day the hotel owner's wife locks the troupe out until they pay. To reclaim belongings and survive, the group heads out to find jobs, with Buck covering Patricia's breakfast for 3 francs and Patricia pretending to be penniless to blend in. The day deepens the troupe's dependence on illusion and hustle.

Walking the streets, Patricia pretends to be penniless to join Buck's troupe as a way to blend in. Back at the hotel, she feigns despair to lure staff onto the roof so the troupe can grab keys and reclaim their rooms. The staff alert the police, and Patricia's father learns of her absence.

The troupe flees and hides in an old studio full of mannequins, thinking they’ve eluded the law. Upon awakening, they overhear talk of a theater show, revealing a new opportunity. Buck then encounters a Russian troupe, who mistake him for a producer, allowing the Americans to take the Russians’ place.

After rehearsals, Patricia's father spots royal jewels in a display and tries to buy them, not realizing their significance. When declined, he steals them, triggering a mad hunt as the troupe realizes something valuable is missing. The troupe uses the new show as cover for their escape and future schemes.

Patricia's father has a replica of the jewels made for Patricia as a present. The replica becomes a point of confusion when he shows the pieces to Ms. Channing, mixing up loyalties and identities within the troupe. The tension surrounding the jewels intensifies the pursuit.

Back at the hotel, Buck discovers the replica necklace and grows wary of a larger scam involving the oil magnate the father met. He rips up the contract, deciding that returning the jewels is the key to getting home. This realization hardens his resolve to resolve the jewel mystery.

Buck confronts Patricia and her father at a dinner with Elliott and Ms. Channing. A struggle ensues, and the jewels get stuck on the hotel roof. They are retrieved but the confrontation leads to arrests as the truth about identities surfaces.

At the police station, the troupe’s real identities are revealed and everyone is released. The dust settles on the chaos, showing that misunderstandings can be resolved, especially with honesty about who they are and what they want.

With the ordeal behind them, Buck and Patricia's bond deepens and they decide to marry, marking the start of a new life together. The film closes on a hopeful note as love triumphs over the earlier chaos.