Balkan Prince Henry, Dennis Morgan, arrives in New York City, determined to see how the ordinary man lives and works. With his travel companions unaware of the plan, he slips away by taxi and ends up meeting the driver, Buzz Williams, Jack Carson. What begins as a covert stroll through a bustling city soon spirals into an intimate glimpse of everyday resilience, as the prince’s carefully crafted backstory—claiming Milwaukee as his homeland—collides with Buzz’s own lived experience and hometown pride.
Buzz invites Henry into his Brooklyn home and introduces him to real life, where the prince is quickly pulled into a world of bottom-floor honesty. He meets Buzz's sister, Nan Evans [Rosemary DeCamp], and Nan's young daughter, Peggy Patti Brady, a pair who anchor the human side of Henry’s whirlwind visit. The household warmth and rough-edged charm of Buzz’s life stand in stark contrast to the regal polish Henry has known, offering a window into how ordinary families cope, dream, and keep their lives moving forward.
The next day brings unexpected trouble: a newspaper photo proclaims that Henry has been kidnapped. He convinces Buzz that he will return in time to stop his country from tipping into a republic, but the tension of his deception deepens. Buzz helps Henry conceal his true identity by taking him to the barber shop where Connie Read, Joan Leslie, works, and Henry has his mustache shaved away, shedding more of the illusion and signaling a turning point toward genuine connection.
That evening, Buzz and Henry plot a double date with Connie Read, Joan Leslie, and Polly Janis Paige. Connie generously offers to show Henry around, and as the day unfolds, the two of them grow closer—so close, in fact, that Henry privately suggests they dine together in a private setting where the edge of danger and romance can soften into something more sincere. The budding attraction èscapes the realm of fiction and begins to shape real feelings, even as Henry tries to balance his mission with matters of the heart.
Henry arranges money for dinner and Buzz’s incidental costs through his aide, Count Oswald, S.Z. Sakall. The dinner happens, and the newly formed bond between Henry and Connie deepens as they share a meal; they later join Buzz, Polly, and Oswald at a theater, where Balkan money supplied by Oswald raises suspicions about the source of the cash. The tension escalates as the theater manager grows uneasy, prompting a formal warning from the FBI after the money’s origin is questioned. Henry is eventually confronted and arrested at Connie’s apartment, and he's escorted back to his hotel, where the enigmatic Count Oswald awaits in the wings of the narrative.
The following day, Peggy—Buzz’s niece—appears with concern, imploring Henry to step back from Connie so Buzz and Connie can find their own happiness. Undeterred, Henry invites the entourage to his hotel suite to hear a radio speech he plans to broadcast to the people of his country—a moment that tests loyalties, desires, and the pull of two very different futures.
In the suite, Connie tries to convince Buzz that their paths aren’t meant to align, while Henry practices his speech and seeks Buzz’s counsel. When the microphone is inadvertently left on, Buzz’s resonant words reveal a heartfelt devotion to the United States, and the broadcast resonates with listeners who are inspired to vote for a republic. Henry loses his title and, in effect, his prerogatives, but gains something more lasting: the chance to remain in the United States as a free man. He rushes to ask Connie for her hand in marriage, unaware that Buzz has already done so in spirit if not in title, and Connie must choose between two men who embody wholly different paths.
Connie ultimately chooses the familiar, steadfast love she has known for a long time with Buzz, the man who has stood by her and supported her growth. Disappointed but respectful of the partnership she’s found, Henry decides to return to Milwaukee, where a new job offer at a beer company awaits him. On the plane, a final, bittersweet moment unfolds when he spots his favorite actress, Lauren Bacall, only to be reminded that her real-life counterpart, Humphrey Bogart, sits beside her, underscoring the movie’s blend of fantasy, reality, and fate.
