Lucky Partners

David Grant, a Greenwich Village sidewalk portrait painter, passes Jean Newton on the street and wishes her good luck. The gesture hints at a fateful connection that will drive their entwined story. He later learns Jean works across the street from his studio, setting the stage for an intersecting life.

Jean works in a book shop directly across the street from David's studio. A rich woman gifts her a dazzling new gown she doesn't want, a memory that reminds her of its purchaser. The gift becomes a symbol of luck and temptation that nudges their fateful bond.

Believing David to bring luck, Jean asks him to go halves on a $150,000 sweepstakes horse race ticket. He agrees only on the condition that if they win, she accompany him on a platonic road trip around the country before settling down.

Their $2.50 ticket proves among the few drawn, sending its value up to $12,000. The horse does not place, and Freddie proudly informs Jean he sold his half for $6,000. Outraged, she offers half the money to David, who agrees only if they keep their bargain.

Their first stop is Niagara Falls, and they drive there in a new car David has bought for Jean. They book into rooms as 'brother and sister', two floors apart, share a champagne snack in the hotel bar, and plan a quiet evening.

A hotel desk clerk relocates Jean's room into one adjoining David's, separated by locking double doors, due to a misunderstanding of their intentions. Freddie, suspicious of David's motives, secretly follows them, determined to spring his own trap.

David discovers that Jean finds his room more attractive and arranges with the hotel staff to have their rooms switched so they are adjacent. The lack of privacy makes sleep elusive as the two attempt to honor their platonic pact while a growing attraction deepens.

Under the moonlight, the outdoor ballroom becomes the setting for a spontaneous dance and a kiss that moves Jean closer to David. Yet David, conscious of violating his own bargain, pulls away emotionally even as romance blooms.

Freddie barges into what he believes is David's room, finds Jean there, and knocks down the common door in a fit of jealousy. David has already checked out, leaving a note for Jean, which she refuses to share with Freddie.

En route back to New York City, David is stopped by a policeman and taken to jail when the car is found not to be his. Shortly afterward, the hotel house detective, prompted by the arrest, accuses Jean of racketeering with David and brings both in on various charges.

They are brought before a judge as court reporters chronicle Somerset's discovery and arrest; headlines flash across society pages. The courtroom for their trial is packed with the social elite eager to see what unfolds.

David and Jean act as their own counsels. While on the witness stand, David reveals he is really Paul Knight Somerset, a celebrated painter who disappeared years earlier. Jean is asked if she loves him and she admits that she does.

The judge weighs the evidence, fines Freddie, and clears both David and Jean. He apologizes on behalf of the American judicial system in the hopes that David can resume a productive career and that the couple may pursue a future together.