For the Love of Mary

Mary Peppertree starts her new job as a White House telephone switchboard operator. Her first call comes from David Paxton, an ichthyologist who insists on speaking to the President about a political issue on a Pacific island. She also spends her day fielding calls from Supreme Court justices trying to reconnect her with her former fiancé, Phillip Manning.

That night, at a restaurant, Justice Peabody and Phillip Manning join Mary to discuss her breakup. Mary explains that she ended the engagement not out of jealousy but because she simply wasn’t moved to be with him. David overhears the conversation and, frustrated, vows to speak to the President before storming out.

David apologizes the next morning at the White House gate and tries to win her over with flowers and candy, which Mary rejects. His gesture underscores his fixation and willingness to pressure her. The scene foreshadows the conflicts that will follow.

Back at the switchboard, Mary receives a call from the President checking on her condition after her hiccup. He sends his executive secretary, Harvey Elwood, to oversee her wellbeing and offers her a paper bag to breathe into. The exchange marks the first direct involvement of the Presidency in her personal life.

Phillip calls Mary, hoping to drive her to Justice Peabody's party that night. Mary declines, signaling she doesn’t want to resume their relationship. The moment heightens the social tension surrounding her.

Mary must drive David off the White House grounds to prevent his arrest. She negotiates with him to escort her to the party in exchange for an introduction to the President's secretary. The scene shows how personal and political interests collide around Mary.

After overhearing Mary’s remark about staying home, the President orders Lt. Tom Farrington to escort her to the party. Tom's presence stirs jealousy in Phillip and raises the stakes of the social triangle. The escalating attention underscores the political optics at play.

At the party, Tom's escorting Mary creates tension with Phillip, who watches the situation with concern. They share a piano-singalong moment that lightens the mood, before Tom escorts Mary home. Mary notices her father watching from an upstairs window, underscoring the public scrutiny she faces.

The next day, the President learns Mary was upset about missing David and privately calls David to offer regrets, then dismisses his island obsession as nutty. Mary volunteers to arrange a meeting for David with Phillip to help with his political issue. The administration begins to shape a solution to the strange situation.

Tom arrives at the Peppertree home with presidential orders to take Mary to a White House movie screening. Phillip learns Mary is going with Tom, while David declares that he is leaving town, lamenting Washington's Mary Peppertree fixation. The love-triangle dynamics continue to pull at the characters.

That night, Elwood arranges a date where David goes out with Mary in Tom's place. When he kisses her, Mary hiccups again, signaling her growing feelings for David. Phillip and Tom surface, each accusing the other of being a patsy in a tangled plot.

Next morning, Mary is flooded with calls congratulating her engagements with Phillip and with Tom, plus a President's congratulations on Tom's engagement. Elwood orders David arrested for illegally entering the country, revealing that David’s Pacific island could host a strategic naval base. The government begins to grapple with how to resolve the competing claims.

At Gustav's restaurant, parties gather to resolve the matter. David drafts a Senate resolution proposing annexation of his Pacific island if Phillip and Tom are reassigned away from Washington, and he and Gustav would become U.S. citizens. After presenting the plan to President's advisors, the government agrees, and when Mary calls the President with the good news, David interrupts with a kiss, causing another hiccup.