The Divorce of Lady X

Plot

Leslie Steele (Merle Oberon), a guest at a costume party, is forced to stay overnight in a hotel because of a particularly bad London fog. As there are no rooms available, Steele talks her way into sharing a suite with Everard Logan (Laurence Olivier), a handsome but somewhat stiff lawyer. They spend the night together, quite chastely, but Logan becomes convinced that Leslie must be married. His conviction is confirmed when an old school friend, Lord Mere (Ralph Richardson), arrives and asks Logan to represent him in a divorce case against his wife, Lady Claire (Binnie Barnes), who had also spent the night in the hotel following the party.

As Leslie had discreetly declined to give him her full name, despite having decided to win and marry him, Logan mistakenly believes that she is Lady Claire, making him the mystery co-respondent in his client's divorce. Leslie encourages the mistaken identity- which also charges her with the three previous divorces of Lady Claire- as a confused and love-struck Logan pursues her against his better judgement, and at risk- he believes- of his career. Eventually Lord and Lady Mere, now reconciled, are drawn into the confusion, much to their own amusement. Logan is furious and humiliated when Leslie and Lord and Lady Mere finally reveal the deception to him, and shutters his practice in order to travel abroad. A penitent Leslie pursues him aboard a ship and wins him back as he battles seasickness.

Cast