The Solid Gold Cadillac

At the shareholders meeting, Blessington announces that he will replace McKeever as president and board chairman, and McKeever resigns to prepare for a Secretary of Defense post in Washington. Laura Partridge, wielding only ten shares, uses the moment to pepper the room with pointed questions that infuriate the executives. The tension signals the power shift looming over International Projects.

Blessington hatches a plan to keep Laura busy by hiring her as director of shareholder relations, a position with no real duties. He assigns her a secretary, Amelia, with secret instructions to obstruct Laura at every turn. The move is designed to appease the stockholders while keeping Laura out of the boardroom.

With no substantial duties, Laura starts writing letters directly to stockholders, building a channel of influence outside the formal channels. She also wins Amelia's friendship by helping her develop a romance with the office manager. The letters begin to shape opinions among smaller investors.

When the directors discover Amelia is aiding Laura, they fire Amelia to strike back at the growing influence she represents. Laura learns of the move and recognizes the need to maintain her foothold in the company. The board's action shows their intolerance for outside interference.

Laura uncovers that Harry Harkness, the board's brother-in-law, caused a rival company to go bankrupt, though the smaller firm is actually owned by International Projects. She uses this blunder as leverage to pressure the board to reinstate Amelia and to keep her own position intact. The discovery reveals the self-serving nature of the executives.

Armed with the knowledge of Harry's misstep, Laura leverages the scandal to have Amelia rehired, restoring their operational influence. The board is forced to bow to Laura's growing power, even as Blessington tries to keep her boxed in. This marks a turning point in Laura's strategy to tilt control from the inside.

The board sends Laura to Washington, D.C. to persuade McKeever to award them government contracts. Laura agrees to go but secretly intends to convince McKeever to return and retake control from the crooked board. The mission pits the former founder against the current regime.

After meeting with McKeever, Laura explains Harry's blunder and convinces him to leave his government post and try to reclaim the company. McKeever agrees to step back from public office in hopes of reasserting control once back in the corporate arena. The plan hinges on assembling a new direction for International Projects.

Blessington and his faction block McKeever's attempt to retake control, effectively stalling the counter-move from within the company. Frustrated by the obstruction and the ongoing corporate intrigue, Laura resigns from her post. The standoff underscores the reach of the board's influence over the company.

McKeever sues the company, arguing that sending Laura to persuade him violated lobbying laws since she was not a registered lobbyist. The case centers on the legality of cross-mailed influence between corporate boards and government officials. The court case becomes a public flashpoint for the internal power struggle.

During testimony, Laura must admit that she and McKeever shared a romantic reason for their meetings, which leads the judge to dismiss the case on procedural grounds. The revelation complicates the political optics, but it also undermines the prosecution's leverage. The dismissal clears the path for Laura to regain influence through proxy votes.

Even as the courtroom drama unfolds, many smaller investors react to Laura's letters and send their proxy votes to her. With these votes, Laura and McKeever mobilize a coalition to replace the entire board. The momentum shifts the balance of power in favor of the reformers.

At a meeting of the newly empowered board, Laura and McKeever reveal that they are married, signaling their unified front against the old guard. They outline a fresh strategic direction and begin consolidating control over the company. The symbolic union marks a dramatic turning point in the company's governance.

The film transitions from black-and-white to color as a wedding gift appears—a gleaming solid gold Cadillac from the small stockholders. Laura drives the luxury car around Manhattan, celebrating the victory of ordinary shareholders over the board's corruption. The ending ties together the theme of empowerment and corporate democracy.