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American
Charles Wills returns to Paris, after a two-year absence, to see his
daughter. He stops for a drink at a café owned by his old friend
Maurice and reminisces about the days near the end of World War II.
On VE Day, Charles, a reporter for The Stars
and Stripes, is among the Americans celebrating in the streets with the
joyous French citizens. He ducks into Maurice's café, where he
encounters his friend, Claude Matine, and is introduced to American Marion
Ellswirth, who has been in France throughout the war.
Marion takes the men to a party thrown by her
father James, a charming rascal with a talent for living beyond his means.
Charles' eye is caught by Marion's beautiful, vivacious sister Helen, and
the young woman stuns him with her description of the family's decadent
lifestyle. Marion grows jealous as Helen flirts with Charles, and
makes an appointment to meet him later. However, Helen learns about
their assignation and shows up in Marion's place, and amid the victory
festivities, they kiss.
When Helen later comes down with a bad flu after
being out in a storm, Charles visits her in the hospital, and they decide to
marry. Helen wishes to stay in France, so Charles takes a job with a
Paris news agency. Marion, who is still in love with Charles, soon
announces her engagement to Claude. Charles and Helen marry, move in
with James and have a daughter, Vicki. Charles devotes all his spare
time to his writing but, after completing two novels, is still unable to
find a publisher.
By 1950, Charles has grown despondent over his
lack of success as an author, and tired of Helen's frivolous, often
outlandish behavior. One night, Charles is assigned to interview
socialite Lorraine Quarl, who is in Paris finalizing her most recent
divorce. They spend the evening together and, when Charles returns
home in the morning, Helen's lack of suspicion nettles him.
Marion calls with the news that one of James's
supposedly worthless oil leases, which he gave Charles and Helen as a
wedding gift, has paid off. The family celebrates its newfound wealth
with extravagant purchases and parties, and Charles quits his job to
concentrate on his writing. Charles' third novel is also rejected,
however, and he falls into a deep depression and bitterly declares himself a
failure.
One night, James invites Paul Lane, a suave
"international tennis bum," to attend a party with them. At the party,
Paul flirts with Helen, and the inebriated Charles encounters Lorraine, who
is now divorcing her fifth husband. Helen asks her husband to take her
home, but he insists on taking Lorraine for a drive instead.
The following day, Helen treats the badly
hung-over Charles coldly, despite his assurances that nothing happened
between him and Lorraine. Helen admits that she joined Paul for a
nightcap at his hotel and was strongly tempted to have an affair with him.
She then tells Charles she is unhappy and asks to go back to America.
Charles, who has been seduced by the decadence that Helen now finds
unfulfilling, refuses. Instead, he takes Lorraine to Monte Carlo to
compete in an automobile race.
When they return to Paris, they find Helen at
Maurice's café with Paul, and Charles takes a swing at him. Paul takes
Helen to his hotel and declares his love for her, but makes it clear that he
wishes her to stay with her husband and keep him on the side, pointing out
that half the people in her social circle have such "arrangements."
Disgusted, Helen walks out and returns home, but
is unable to get into the house because Charles has chained the door and
passed out, drunk. Helen walks through the snow to Marion and Claude's
house, then collapses. Helen is hospitalized and, when the apologetic
Charles visits, she asks him to take care of Vicki, and dies. Marion
sues for custody of Vicki, and the grief- and guilt-stricken Charles yields
without a fight, wishing only to return to America.
Back in the present, Charles tells Maurice that
the oil wells dried up a year before. Charles then goes to visit
James, and is surprised to find him in a wheelchair, the victim of a stroke.
James commends Charles on the book he has published, calling it very honest.
After being reunited with his daughter, Charles
tells Claude and Marion that he wants to take Vicki back with him, but
Marion bitterly rejects his emotional appeal. After Charles leaves,
shattered, Claude accuses Marion of still being angry that Charles chose
Helen over her.
Later that evening, Charles is at Maurice's café
when Marion comes in and says Helen would not have wanted him to be alone.
She takes him outside, where Claude and Vicki are waiting. As Claude
and Marion exchange a warm glance, Charles and his daughter walk hand in
hand down the boulevard. |
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