A librarian takes a cruise and falls for an unobtainable man, a district attorney married to an invalid.
On a cruise to Cuba, Lulu Smith falls in love with Bob Grover; back home, she breaks off the romance when he tells her he is married. Lulu has a baby, but doesn't tell Bob, who turns out to be a rising politician. She passes herself off as the baby's nanny. When Bob learns what is going on, he adopts the little girl, not telling his wife or anyone else where she came from. Lulu gets a job at a newspaper. The editor gets the dirt on Grover, but also wants to marry Lulu.—John Oswalt <[email protected]>
After spinster librarian Lulu Smith (Barbara Stanwyck) is accused by her small town patrons of having Spring fever, she spends her life savings on a cruise to Havana, during which she begins a romance with Bob Grover (Adolphe Menjou), a lawyer with political ambitions. After their return, Lulu becomes a clerical assistant for a newspaper, where she is pursued by brash reporter Al Holland (Ralph Bellamy). One night, several months into their affair, Bob comes to Lulu's apartment for dinner, bringing two Halloween masks with which they have a marvelous time playing. Their merriment is interrupted by a call from Al, whose proposal to Lulu prompts Bob to confess that he has an invalid wife whom he cannot leave. Lulu protests that she wishes to continue their affair, but Bob refuses to let her waste her life on him. They squabble, and Lulu throws him out without telling him she is pregnant. Time passes and Bob becomes district attorney, while Al becomes city editor of the newspaper. After Bob asks a DA staff member, Marty, to find Lulu, the couple are reunited and Lulu introduces Bob to his toddler daughter Roberta (Myrna Fresholt). Later on a park bench, Lulu and Roberta are waiting to meet Bob, when Al suddenly appears. He is questioning her about Roberta when Bob arrives, and, in order to protect Bob's reputation, Lulu tells Al that the baby is Bob's adopted daughter and that she is her governess. In order to preserve the charade, Bob does adopt Roberta, taking her home the next day to present to his wife Helen (Dorothy Peterson), who is returning from a European rest cure. Helen is delighted with the child but is unwilling to continue employing Lulu when she admits to no work references. Lulu runs out of the house, and when Bob follows her, she tries to tell him she is through with him but she is unable to deny him. Soon after, Lulu goes to Al for a job and becomes the "advice to the lovelorn" columnist for his paper. Al pumps her for information about Bob and Roberta in order to write a story causing Bob's downfall, but Lulu steadfastly refuses to say anything. As the years pass, Lulu still works for the paper, and Al, now the managing editor, is still pursuing her. Bob has been the mayor, congressman and then senator, but on the night he wins the nomination for governor, he becomes disheartened, ashamed of the hypocrisy of his double life. Lulu tries to talk him out of confessing the truth and ruining his career, but when it seems that she cannot succeed, she asks Al to marry her, hoping that will make Bob forget about her. On the night of Bob's election, however, Al tells her that he knows all about her, Bob and Roberta, and Lulu kills him to prevent him from publishing the story. A year later, Bob is on his deathbed, and Lulu, whom he had pardoned after a short prison term, comes to visit him. He shows her his new handwritten will, which tells the truth and leaves her half of his estate, but after he dies, she tears it up to protect him and Roberta (Charlotte Henry), who is engaged to a socially prominent young man.
Staid librarian Lulu Smith (Barbara Stanwyck) shows up late to work for the first time in eight years-the victim of spring fever. Frustrated by her loneliness, she withdraws her life savings and buys a ticket for a two week romantic cruise to Havana- advertised as the "land of romance." On the ship, she meets Bob Grover (Adolphe Menjou), a lawyer with political ambitions, who mistook her room 66 for his room 99 after a few too many drinks. They have dinner together, and soon they develop a romantic attraction. In Havana, they spend their time together gambling, drinking, riding horses, and taking moonlit walks on the beach. When he asks why she came to Havana, she answers, "To meet you."
After they return, Lulu leaves her job in the Midwest, following Bob to the city. She takes a job as a clerical assistant for the Daily Record newspaper, where she is pursued by brash reporter Al Holland (Ralph Bellamy). A few months into their romance, Bob comes to Lulu's apartment for dinner, bringing two Halloween masks that they playfully wear. She is eager to reveal that she is pregnant with their child. Their merriment is interrupted by a phone call from Al, whose marriage proposal to Lulu prompts Bob to confess that he is married to an invalid wife whom he cannot abandon. He informs her that their relationship must end. Lulu begs him to continue their affair, but Bob refuses to let her waste her life on him. Furious, Lulu throws him out of her apartment without telling him that she is pregnant. A few months later, Lulu gives birth to a baby girl.
Two years later, Bob has become district attorney and Al is now city editor of the newspaper. Because Al's newspaper helped elect Bob, he feels that Bob now owes him a few favors. When Bob refuses to help him, Al vows to ruin him, and leaves. After Bob has a staff member do some investigation to find Lulu with whom he has lost touch. He shows up at her apartment, where Lulu introduces him to his daughter Roberta (Myrna Fresholt). Soon afterward, while Lulu and Roberta are waiting in a park to meet Bob, Al spots her and questions her about Roberta just as Bob arrives. Desperate to keep their secret, Lulu tells Al that the baby is Bob's adopted daughter in order to protect Bob's reputation. She also tells Al that she is the baby's governess. Bob adopts Roberta, taking her home the next day to present to his wife, Helen (Dorothy Peterson), who has just returned from a health cure in Vienna. Helen is delighted with the child, but refuses to take a chance on Lulu when she admits she has no work references and quickly departs. In a rush to catch Lulu, when his wife demands another governess, he indicates approval. When Bob catches up with her, she ends their relationship for good. She leaves him and their child because she cannot bear living in his household - watching Helen be the mother to her daughter, and the wife to the man she loves.
Turning to Al for a job, Lulu becomes the "advice-to-the-lovelorn" columnist for his newspaper. Al tries to pump her for compromising information about Bob and daughter Roberta in order to undermine Bob's political career, but she refuses to say anything. Years pass, and Lulu follows Bob's career as he becomes mayor, congressman, and eventually senator. She also follows her daughter becoming a beautiful debutante. Lulu is still working at the newspaper for Al, who has become managing editor. He continues to pursue her, but she remains in love with Bob.
On the night Bob is nominated for governor, he comes to Lulu's apartment, disheartened and ashamed of the hypocrisy of his secret life. He is finally ready to leave his wife and run away with Lulu. When he threatens to confess the truth to the public, Lulu talks him out of ruining his career and reputation. The next day, Lulu asks Al to marry her, knowing that Bob will not reveal the truth now that she is married.
On the night of Bob's election, Al reveals to Lulu that he knows all about her, Bob, and Roberta. He has stolen a recent letter from Bob, who had written to Lulu of their relationship and their daughter. When she tries to retrieve it, Al spurns and belittles her, hitting her across the face, sending her sprawling across the room. Faced with the threat of Bob's destruction, Lulu shoots Al dead to prevent him from leaving to publish the story. As she stands holding the gun, the radio announces Grover's victory as governor.
Under a year later, Lulu receives a pardon from Bob after serving a short prison term. She visits Bob who is on his deathbed, and he shows her his new handwritten will, which reveals everything about their relationship and leaves her half of his estate. After he dies, however, Lulu tears up the will and throws it away, in order to protect Bob's memory and their daughter Roberta (Charlotte Henry), who is engaged to be married.
