Easy Living

During breakfast at the Ball penthouse, J.B. Ball argues with his son John Jr. about independence and proving himself. The confrontation ends with John Jr. storming out, determined to make his own way.

Ball grabs the sable coat from Jenny in a fit of rage. A chase spills onto the penthouse roof, and he hurls the coat over the edge.

The sable coat lands on Mary Smith as she rides to work on a double-decker bus. Ball tells her to keep the coat and does not reveal its price.

To compensate for the damaged coat, Ball buys Mary an expensive new hat. Van Buren, the hat shop owner, spreads a whisper that Mary is Ball's mistress, fueling gossip.

Mary arrives at work only to be suspected of improper connections and is fired by her strict boss to protect the magazine's reputation.

Nearly penniless, Mary is installed in a luxury suite by Hotel Louis's owner, who hopes the arrangement will deter Ball from foreclosing on his hotel.

Mary meets John Jr. working anonymously in an automat; he is fired for giving Mary free food and starting a food fight, a consequence of their budding connection.

Seeing his need for a place to stay, Mary invites John Jr. to share her enormous hotel suite while he seeks work, and they quickly fall in love.

Jenny goes to Florida, and Ball moves into Hotel Louis. Gossip columns report a nonexistent affair, and the hotel becomes a magnet for the elite as luxury firms shower Mary with gifts.

Stockbroker E.F. Hulgar asks Mary for inside information about steel stocks. Mary consults John Jr., who casually suggests the steel is going down, and she relays this to Hulgar, triggering widespread selling as J.B. starts buying.

Mary, John Jr., and J.B. gather to understand the manipulation and craft a solution. John comes up with a plan to counter the rumors, culminating in a decisive reveal about the steel market.

To stabilize the market, Mary tells Hulgar that J.B. has effectively cornered the steel market. Prices begin to rise, rescuing Ball's firm from collapse.

With the crisis averted, J.B. offers John Jr. a job, and John Jr. asks Mary to be his wife, sealing their partnership both personal and financial.