I Was a Male War Bride

In Allied-occupied Heidelberg, French Captain Henri Rochard is tasked with locating and recruiting the skilled lens maker Schindler. He is paired with American Lieutenant Catherine Gates as his driver, despite their initial clashes that set a tense tone for the mission.

The only available transport is a motorcycle; Catherine must drive and Henri rides in the sidecar, leading to a string of mishaps as the pair navigates postwar roads toward Bad Nauheim. Their constant bickering tests their professional resolve but pushes them toward their target.

At a Bad Nauheim hotel, Catherine's back pain prompts a moment of intimacy as Henri offers a back rub. When she falls asleep, the exterior door handle falls off, trapping him in the room and forcing him to spend the night in a chair.

In the morning, Catherine doubts Henri's story about the door. The innkeeper's wife later reveals she replaced the knob, causing the door to open, and Henri has to hide on a ledge to escape discovery.

Henri goes undercover to locate Schindler, who is now operating in the black market. He forbids Catherine from helping and warns her to pretend not to know him if they meet.

The black market is raided by authorities and everyone is rounded up, including Schindler and Henri. When Henri asks Catherine to vouch for his identity, she adheres to his earlier command and withholds recognition.

While Henri is jailed, Catherine finds Schindler, who is eager to leave Germany for France to ply his trade there. She helps him pursue migration despite the risk.

After Henri's release and their return to Heidelberg, Catherine apologizes for the earlier friction, and the pair realizes they have fallen in love. Their renewed relationship grows amid the war's shadow.

Red tape forces Henri and Catherine to marry first in a civil ceremony before they can have the ceremony of their choosing. Catherine would be married by an Army chaplain, while Henri would have his ceremony in a French church.

They discover that the only viable path for Henri is to be recognized as the War Brides Act spouse of an American soldier. After misunderstandings rooted in their unusual situation, Henri is granted permission to accompany Catherine.

With visas arranged, they face rigid Army regulations as they prepare to board the transport ship. The couple navigates last-minute obstacles to secure their place on the voyage.

To overcome the Navy's skepticism about Henri's status, Catherine persuades him to disguise himself as a female Army nurse to get aboard. The ruse initially succeeds, allowing them to move toward the ship's interior.

Mid-voyage, their disguise is discovered, and Henri is arrested. The revelation jeopardizes their chance to stay together on the voyage.

Catherine pleads with the ship's captain, who understands the legal complexities of their situation, and the couple finally secures some privacy—but in the ship's brig. The bureaucratic entanglements finally leave them alone together, albeit in confinement.