First a Girl

In 1930s London, Elizabeth leaves her menial job at a luxury fashion shop to pursue a singing career. Caught in a heavy rainstorm, she ducked into a crowded coffeehouse where she sits opposite the actor Victor. Their chance encounter sets up a bold plan that will change Elizabeth's life when Victor reveals he has laryngitis and suggests she stand in as his female impersonator.

Victor accompanies Elizabeth to his boarding house, where he learns he has laryngitis and cannot perform that evening. He explains the idea: Elizabeth could take the stage as a female impersonator using his stage name Victoria. Elizabeth agrees to the risky scheme and becomes 'Bill', the new female persona.

That night, Elizabeth performs in drag as the female impersonator 'Bill' and garners a tremendous reception. The crowd roars, and the big-time promoter McLintock appears backstage intrigued by her talent. Sensing a star, McLintock offers Elizabeth a contract to perform across Europe.

With Victor managing and Elizabeth billed as 'Bill' using his own stage name 'Victoria', the pair embark on a European tour. Elizabeth performs as a glamorous male impersonator across multiple cities, while Victor handles contracts and publicity. The act signals a rising celebrity born from a risky deception.

One evening during the tour, Princess Mironoff and her fiancé Robert attend a Bill performance and are intrigued by the onstage persona. Robert becomes attracted to Bill, but his interest turns awkward when Bill removes the wig and reveals cropped hair. The moment heightens tension about Bill's true gender.

Backstage at a nightclub, Elizabeth must maintain the masculine facade by smoking a cigar and drinking strong whiskey to reinforce the illusion. Victor meanwhile continues to charm the princess with Shakespeare recitations as Robert chats with 'Bill'. Elizabeth struggles to uphold the disguise amid growing scrutiny.

The Princess finds a feminine hair comb under 'Bill's' chair, confirming suspicions that Bill may be a woman. She and Robert invite the two 'men' to join them on a trip to the South of France to force Bill to reveal his gender. Elizabeth and Victor accept, hoping to keep the ruse intact for now.

At the villa she shares with Victor, Elizabeth enjoys wearing women's clothes again and revels in the freedom of her true identity. During a seaside swim, Robert unexpectedly draws near and uses lifesaving techniques to pull her from the water, exposing her as a woman. He apologizes, and Elizabeth's femininity becomes impossible to deny.

Elizabeth tells the Princess that she is in love with Robert, complicating the arrangement they promised. Victor must explain to everyone that he and Elizabeth are just good friends, hoping to preserve the scheme's stability. The romantic revelation tests loyalties and the future of the Shakespearean plan.

A nosy newspaper reporter spots 'Bill' in women's clothing and threatens to expose the deception. Victor saves the day by stepping into the role himself, posing as 'Bill' in drag to comic effect and deflecting the threat. The performance buys time and preserves the arrangement for Elizabeth and Robert.

The Princess pledges to back Victor's Shakespearean theater project, signaling official support for the plan's artistic future. Meanwhile, Elizabeth carries a man's passport and is waved across the French border to begin a life with Robert. The fragile deception edges toward a hopeful new chapter for Elizabeth.

With the border cleared and plans in motion, Elizabeth leaves behind the gender masquerade to start a life with Robert in France. Victor's theatrical ambitions remain intact thanks to the Princess's backing. Elizabeth steps into a future as her true self, supported by friends who believed in her talent.