The Marrying Man

Charley Pearl is the heir to a toothpaste empire and lives as a carefree playboy with no obvious ambition. He is engaged to Adele Horner, whose hot-tempered father worries about Charley's lack of guilt or drive. This setup establishes the tension between wealth, romance, and obligation that drives the story.

Charley and his four best friends set out for a Las Vegas weekend to celebrate his bachelor status. He offers to bankroll the trip and still plans to return home to Adele. The journey foreshadows disruptions to his impending marriage.

At El Rancho Vegas, Vicki Anderson performs and Charley tries to flirt. He is warned she belongs to someone else but is drawn to her charm. This meeting seeds a dangerous triangle that will pull Charley away from Adele.

Charley and Vicki sleep together, only to be interrupted when Bugsy Siegel discovers them. Bugsy muses about forcing a rushed marriage and using the scandal to his advantage. The criminal figure's presence adds a menacing edge to Charley's entanglement.

Bugsy proposes taking Charley and Vicki to a justice of the peace in the middle of the night. He envisions a spontaneous, coerced wedding that will bind them together. The threat unsettles Charley and raises the stakes for everyone involved.

Charley drives Vicki back to California and offers to pay her expenses, hoping to salvage the situation. Vicki walks out, rejecting his efforts to keep her. The fragile arrangement collapses as Charley reconsiders his commitments.

Charley's engagement to Adele appears on the front page of the newspapers, creating a public dilemma. He apologizes and still intends to pursue Adele, proposing an annulment from Vicki if necessary. He also pledges to donate a large sum to charity to mend any missteps.

Charley runs into Vicki again and remarries her, abandoning Adele once more. Lew Horner stops just short of killing Charley, instead sending thugs to beat him and toss him into a pool. The feud between wealth, loyalty, and crime escalates.

Vicki learns Charley's father has died and Charley must go to Boston to run the family business. She puts her career on hold and follows him, waiting for a chance to advance. The shift to Boston signals a new phase away from California's lifestyle.

Vicki endures two years in Boston's high society tea parties before returning to California. Charley reneges on his promises, and Vicki files for divorce. The couple's strained relationship fractures further as distance grows.

Charley and his friends track Vicki to a nightclub where she has aligned with another shady figure. A violent brawl erupts, and Charley wins Vicki back by stealing her away and marrying her a third time. The pattern of pursuit, romance, and volatility resumes.

Charley pours millions into a movie studio intended to exploit Vicki's stardom. While his friends' ventures succeed, Charley's project stalls, drains money, and he goes broke. Vicki's career ambitions and Charley's obsession undermine the enterprise, and she leaves him again.

Charley, now divorced and dejected, is found by his friends and reveals a new career in computers. He stares at the nightclub stage where Vicki performs and shows a diamond engagement ring to his friends. Vicki slides the ring onto her finger, signaling one last, unresolved vow.