Darling Lili

During World War I, Lili Smith is a beloved English musical star who secretly serves as a German spy. She mingles with Allied pilots at the Cafe Can-Can, earning admiration and access through performances and charm. Her double life draws her into a dangerous web of deception that could cost lives.

Major Larrabee woos Lili with a gypsy serenade outside her window, then invites her to a night-time champagne picnic. The gesture deepens their personal bond while blurring lines between romance and intrigue. Lili weighs the risk of trusting a mysterious recruit who may be more than he appears.

Lili transmits information gleaned from her conversations with Larrabee to Colonel Von Ruger, the German liaison posing as her uncle. This exchange cements her role in the spy network and tightens the bond between them. The act keeps her undercover while feeding crucial intelligence to the German side.

French authorities suspect Larrabee is the spy and ask Lili to keep a close eye on him. Lili's loyalties oscillate as she balances affection with duty, wary of tipping off potential danger. The tension grows as she navigates a sting operation in social circles and spy games.

During dinner with Larrabee and a drunken Lieutenant Carstairs, Carstairs probes about operation Crepe Suzette. Lili reports what she hears to Von Ruger, who urges her to uncover more. The exchange sets the stage for misdirection and escalating stakes.

French agents Duvalle and Liggett spy on Larrabee and Lili at a hotel getaway where the couple share a room. A confrontation ensues when Lili accuses Larrabee of calling her Suzette, and he deflects by claiming he said my pet. He finally admits that operation Crepe Suzette is real and feeds more details to her, which she relays to Von Ruger.

With the French now suspecting Crepe Suzette may be a German spy, Lili weighs the competition and then performs a striptease to a seemingly demure song. The provocative act tilts loyalties and signals she will test every option to safeguard Larrabee. The moment underscores the dangerous theatrics of wartime espionage.

When Larrabee returns, he tells the true story of his encounter with the Red Baron, and Lili initially mocks him. Von Ruger then calls to confirm the tale, swaying her to believe him. Despite her stated belief, she follows Larrabee, torn between trust and lingering doubt.

Lili secretly plants her code book in Suzette's rooms after seeing Larrabee and Suzette together, triggering investigations for treason. The act seals the fate of the rival suspect and tests Lili's loyalty to both men and country. The revelation thickens the web of deception around them.

While Lili is awarded the Legion of Honour at a grand ceremony, the evening paper prints Suzette's claim that Larrabee met her to end their relationship because he loved another woman. The exposure complicates the perception of Lili's loyalties and fuels personal turmoil.

Lili goes to the French to confess in an attempt to save Larrabee from the firing squad, but is sent away in disbelief. Meanwhile a German assassin pursues her, highlighting the escalating danger she faces. Her decision marks a turning point from spy to would-be savior.

Von Ruger plans an escape to Switzerland, but the assassin captures them on the train. The train is later attacked by German aircraft, and the assassin dies in the airstrike as Larrabee's squadron defends the carriage. Larrabee salutes Lili as she lies on the ground, a moment of grim triumph among the chaos.

The war ends and Lili sings on a dark stage in Geneva, surrounded by pilots watching from the wings. Larrabee emerges, steps onto the stage, kisses her, and the crowd cheers as their story ends with reconciliation and hope.