Three of a Kind

Barbara Penfield pleads with her father to invest in Randall's venture, but he refuses, aware of Randall's fortune-hunting. He retaliates by freezing her bank account and cutting off her allowance. The confrontation sets the stage for Barbara to seek alternative financing.

With cash flow blocked, Barbara decides to trade her expensive car for a much cheaper one. She visits a local car yard and completes the trade, hoping to conserve funds for Randall's venture. The move foreshadows the deception that will follow.

On a test drive with a salesman, Barbara's car is fraudulently sold by the con man Cornelius. The vehicle is purchased by Jerry Bassett, a Penfield Company employee who has just won a best employee award. The sale triggers a chain of mistaken identities and miscommunications.

Jerry Bassett picks up the hitchhiking Beatrice Payne, who is Barbara using a false name, on the way to Royal Valley. He learns nothing yet about her true identity as they journey together. Barbara's disguise protects her from immediate detection during travel.

Bassett and Beatrice reach Royal Valley and separately check into rooms, marking the start of their tangled stay. The foreshadowed romance is undercut by the ongoing car fraud investigation back home. The setting at the resort sets up the interwoven strands of romance and crime.

Con Cornelius and his daughter Prudence arrive at Royal Valley, confirming Barbara's true identity to Bassett. The Penfield patriarch also arrives, intent on stopping any negotiations between Barbara and Randall. Confusion and alliances begin to shift as identities collide.

A flurry of mistaken identities ensues as Penfield, Randall, Cornelius, and Bassett each suspect the others of being wealthy. The misperceptions drive negotiations and prevent straightforward deals. The comedy of errors deepens the central conflict.

Police investigator Cogarty tracks the fraudulent car sale and recognizes Cornelius and Randall as ex-convicts and swindlers. His pursuit adds legal pressure to resolve the tangled identities. The investigation thickens the plot and foreshadows consequences for the main players.

Bassett becomes wrongly arrested for stealing the car, a result of the mistaken identity frenzy. The arrest compounds the confusion and strains the relationships among the main characters. The mistaken judgment underscores the film's comic-crime tone.

Prudence marries Randall, concluding their arc of romance amidst the chaos. The wedding provides a moment of light resolution amid the ongoing identity misdealings. The match-up also affects the balance of leverage in the Penfield affair.

As the mistaken identities are resolved, Barbara and Bassett reveal their engagement and plan to run the Penfield business together after Penfield retires. The former rivals become partners in a shared enterprise. The resolution restores order to the Penfield company and their future.

With secrets laid bare, Barbara and Bassett declare their intention to run Penfield Company once Penfield retires. The scene closes on a hopeful note, uniting romance, crime, and corporate fate. The couple steps into a shared future as the credits approach.