Du Barry Was a Lady

Nightclub singer May Daly captivates the crowd, drawing attention from Louis Blore and Alec Howe. She loves Alec but remains intent on marrying into wealth because of her poor upbringing. Her plan to marry for money drives the romantic tensions that unfold throughout the story.

Alec professes his love for May by singing a heartfelt number. May remains focused on wealth and rejects her advances in favor of Willie. The moment foreshadows the central clash between love and money.

An attendant spills a salad on Willie's jacket, forcing May to cancel their party plans. May leaves the club and rides the subway home with Louis Blore. On the train, Louis and an elderly woman challenge May's view that money is everything.

The following day, a telegram announces that Louis has won 150,000 dollars in the Irish Sweepstakes. He immediately declares his love for May, which unsettles Alec and Willie. May's flirtation with wealth is tested by Louis's windfall.

May tells Louis that she intends to marry him only for his money. Louis seems content with this arrangement, accepting the practical arrangement rather than romantic loyalty. The exchange cements the uneasy bargain between romance and wealth.

Louis accidentally swallows a drugged beverage and falls asleep. While unconscious, he dreams he is King Louis XV at Versailles, with May as Madame Du Barry and the others playing royal roles. The dream blends power, glamour, and danger.

In the dream, Louis visits Du Barry's palace, where she scolds royal guards for failing to find the Black Arrow. She is more interested in the chase than obedience, and Louis hides in her bedroom as guards pursue him. He eventually tumbles off a cliff during the pursuit.

Du Barry infiltrates a tavern meeting of the Black Arrow. The outlaw hypes the crowd to overthrow the king, and a dangerous passion develops between Du Barry and the Black Arrow. Louis, camping to dry his clothes, is swept up in the mob and marching with them until royal soldiers intervene.

Under the influence of his court, Louis sentences the Black Arrow to death by guillotine. During the sentencing, Louis is shot with an arrow by his son, a dramatic blow that underscores the dream's peril. Du Barry pleads for mercy as the incident unfolds.

Du Barry begs Louis to spare the Black Arrow, confessing her love. Louis agrees to mercy, but Count Rigor interrupts and challenges Louis to a sword fight for Du Barry's affections. The duel threat elevates the dream's tension between power and desire.

Louis awakens from the dream to be comforted by Ginny, a club singer who has pursued him romantically. The return to reality reframes his relationships and responsibilities. He must face May and Alec's evolving plans.

Louis tries to persuade May and Alec to wed and accept his gift, but May has changed her mind about money's importance and plans to marry Alec anyway. Their decision underscores a shift away from wealth-driven motives toward genuine affection. Louis's influence wanes as the wedding nears.

As May and Alec reject Louis's wedding gift of 10,000 dollars, a tax collector arrives to demand the remaining 80,000 dollars in tax on the winnings. The financial reality punctures the dream of wealth and foreshadows consequences for the couple. The scene returns the plot to money's grip on the characters.