Lady by Choice

In court, Patsy Patterson is charged with drunk and disorderly conduct while Alabam Lee faces a morals charge. Judge Daly sentences Patsy to an old ladies' home and assigns Alabam a suspended sentence of one year in prison, with Johnny Mill vowing to help Patsy. The courtroom scene establishes the social clash and foreshadows the reform arc.

Front O'Malley and Charlie Kendall devise an adopt-a-mother publicity stunt to improve Alabam's image. They bring reporters and photographers to the old ladies' home, where Alabam chooses Patsy Patterson to be her pretend mother and Patsy is introduced as the daughter of a Confederate general.

Patsy is moved by Alabam's kindness and begins to reform, tempering her drinking and adopting a more gracious outlook. Alabam, inspired by Patsy's change, starts reconsidering her own life as well.

Patsy uncovers that Kendall has skimmed most of Alabam's nightclub salary. She cuts Kendall out and begins to protect Alabam's money, setting the stage for real reform.

Patsy wins seven thousand dollars in a craps game and pretends the windfall is an inheritance. The money helps cover expenses when Alabam is out of work and keeps their plans afloat.

Patsy urges Alabam to take acting, dancing and elocution lessons to improve her prospects. She helps map out a training path and pushes Alabam toward a more polished image.

Patsy visits the theatrical producer David Opper, whose support she once enjoyed. Opper reluctantly agrees to give Alabam an audition, but she fails to impress him.

Johnny meets Alabam and falls in love, while Alabam tries to extract a loan from him. Patsy sees through the scheme and leaves Alabam, ending their partnership.

Johnny asks Alabam to marry him, but his mother has promised to disown him and leave him poor if they wed. Alabam feels relief that nobody will think she is marrying for money.

Patsy and Johnny's mother visit Judge Daly to ask him to stop the relationship. Daly warns Alabam that their union could bring consequences, but she remains unfazed at first.

Daly explains that Alabam's past could ruin Johnny's career and social standing. Feeling the pressure, Alabam surrenders and returns to Kendall.

Patsy confesses that she was once in the same position with Johnny's father and explains the heartbreak of their breakup. She says she does not want Alabam to repeat her mistake.

Watching Alabam's genuine love for Johnny, Patsy changes her mind about opposing the marriage and decides to support it.

Alabam's fan dance at the nightclub is interrupted by the police; she is taken to Judge Daly's office, where Daly, Patsy and Johnny confront her. The scene ends with Alabam embracing Johnny.

The story closes with the couple's love reaffirmed and Patsy affirming her reform. The trio faces the future with renewed hope and unity, implying a stable path forward for Alabam and Johnny together.