Bride by Mistake

Year: 1944

Runtime: 81 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Wallace

Comedy

Norah Hunter, a shipyard magnate used to gold‑diggers, trades places with her secretary Sylvia Lockwood to pose as a modest working woman and attract a suitor who values character over money. She then becomes entangled with recovering fighter pilot Anthony Travis, who is actually smitten with Sylvia—perhaps more for the fortune he believes she possesses.

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Bride by Mistake (1944) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Bride by Mistake (1944), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Home from the war, Captain Tony Travis, Alan Marshal, eyes an estate in Santa Barbara and wonders what it must feel like to live in such luxury. The property belongs to the fabulously wealthy Nora Hunter, [Laraine Day], who guards her private life tightly and has her secretary and friend Sylvia Lockwood, [Marsha Hunt], impersonate her in public. Longtime guardian Jonathan Connors [Edgar Buchanan] protects his ward’s privacy with a fierce, almost protective devotion. During a ship launch, a press photographer snaps Nora, but Connors notices that the camera film is ruined, a small crash of fate foreshadowing the tangle of identities to come.

Sylvia informs Nora that she’s quitting so she can accompany her husband, Phil Vernon [Allyn Joslyn], whose job sends him to Washington. Nora decides to marry her fiancé Donald [William Post Jr.], enabling Sylvia to serve as Nora’s maid of honor at the wedding. But when Donald returns from military service, he reveals that he has fallen in love with someone else, complicating Nora’s plans and shaking the foundations of the arrangement.

At a tea hosted by Nora, Sylvia pretends once more to be Nora. There, Tony meets Nora and is drawn to her, but his real interest lies with Sylvia. When he vows that love should trump money, Nora and Sylvia devise a weekend at Nora’s beach house so Tony can court Sylvia, hoping that if he truly loves the real Nora, it will be for more than wealth. Friends warn Nora that she’s playing with fire, yet she presses on, believing she can test the depths of his affections.

Chaos erupts as the plan spirals into mischief. While under the influence, Sylvia accepts a marriage proposal from Tony. The next morning, Tony discovers Phil sneaking to Sylvia’s room for a late-night hug, and Nora confesses that she and Sylvia swapped rooms that night. The truth rocks Tony, but it doesn’t break his resolve: he ultimately chooses the person he loves and sweeps Nora into a tentative marriage, carrying her away to begin their life together.

On their honeymoon night in a cheap motel, Nora finally reveals her true identity. Tony, initially taken aback, is touched by the vulnerability he sees and, upon catching a glimpse of Nora in her nightgown, decides to stay instead of walking away. What begins as a sly social experiment ends with a fragile but sincere bond that transcends appearances, a reminder that affection can outlast facades in a world where money and status loom large.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:06

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Romantic comedies where characters trade places to test love's sincerity.Discover more romantic comedies and sophisticated farces like Bride by Mistake, where characters trade places and adopt false identities. These movies share a light, playful tone, exploring themes of true love versus social standing through charming deception and eventual happy resolutions.

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