Lola Davis, Loretta Young is drawn to Ken Hayes, Norman Foster, a man whose old-fashioned morals hold that a husband should earn enough to support a family before proposing marriage. Despite Lola’s protests, Ken accepts a South American opportunity that promises a pay raise, a move that would keep him away from home for two years. Encouraged by her supremely modern sister-in-law, Agnes Davis, Lola pursues a path of passive-aggressive persuasion to push him toward marrying her immediately, even as his plans lean toward Buenos Aires. Lola’s insistence, backed by Agnes’s push, nudges the couple toward a wedding that stitches their fates together, even as Lola asserts she will continue to work after marriage.
At the ceremony, Ken reveals his doubts in a quiet exchange with his new brother-in-law, Jim Davis. The two men, who work in the same office, must stagger vacation time, and that separation begins to wear on their bond. A year into the marriage, Lola’s employer, Mr. Jameson, recognizes her exceptional work and promotes her with a raise to $40 per week—the same amount Ken earns. Lola’s professional life blossoms further when she becomes friendly with another coworker, Peter Acton, who works at their company’s St. Louis location. When news breaks that Mr. Jameson might visit the St. Louis office to address ongoing struggles, Acton suggests Lola accompany him, provoking a playful yet pointed exchange about the dynamics of their marriage.
Returning home with news of the raise, Lola finds the house in disarray and Ken away. He soon reveals he’s been fired from his position as the office eliminates his department and is offered a new job for a lower salary, at $30 a week. Ken resents Lola’s raise, grumbling that she’ll be “wearing the pants” now, and Lola, surprised but unruffled, notes that modern life has changed their balance. With their schedules still conflicting, Ken takes on the dinner duties, and a minor domestic friction intensifies when Lola’s friend Connie asks to keep working after marriage; Lola confesses she’ll be late because she’s helping Connie, which leads to a humiliating moment when a neighbor laughs at Ken in an apron. Peter again flirts with Lola at the office, but she makes clear her boundaries, prompting Jameson and Acton to share a laugh at his expense.
Connie’s guardian, Joe, rejects Connie’s wish to work and insists she marry a man named Louis, who accepts Connie with begrudging enthusiasm. The confrontation ends with domestic tensions that foreshadow Lola’s struggle between love and independence. When Lola returns home, she finds Ken’s life unsettled and their marriage strained, as the couple faces the consequences of misaligned ambitions and the pressure to conform.
The couple’s next shift finds Lola in St. Louis, now managing her own assistant and settling into a robust routine with Peter’s help. Ken’s silence becomes a growing rift as letters stop arriving, and Lola begins to adapt to a life of professional autonomy. Then a telegram arrives: Ken has fallen gravely ill and Lola must return to New York. Peter rushes her to the airfield, seeking a promise from her, but the engines ignite and the plane takes off before they can seal it.
Back in New York, Lola confronts the same woman who helped bail them out, who informs her of Ken’s critical condition. The doctor’s stern warning about a man’s need for an old-fashioned wife underscores the gender norms of the era, while Agnes urges Lola to sacrifice anything to keep her husband, insisting that men are what truly matter. Lola is eventually allowed a conversation with Ken once his condition stabilizes, and she lies to him, saying she has been fired from her job. She maintains a facade of helplessness, begging him to let her stay, while the mysterious woman stationed outside continues to listen. The moment of crisis tests Lola’s resolve, and Ken’s question about her next move is answered in a final, defiantly traditional line: Be a wife.
> Be a wife.
