The Girl from Missouri

Plot

Eadie (Jean Harlow) runs away from her home in Missouri, where her stepfather had her working as a dance partner. On the train, she tells her man-hungry friend Kitty (Patsy Kelly) that she has ideals and plans to marry a somebody so she can accomplish something worthwhile.

She lands a job as one of the chorus girls entertaining guests at a party at the mansion of wealthy Frank Cousins (Lewis Stone). There, she manages to see Cousins alone; oddly, he offers her expensive gifts (including an "authentic Cellini" sculpture that he keeps on his desk), but she refuses to accept them until they become engaged. She is surprised when he readily agrees. Unbeknownst to her, guest T.R. Paige (Lionel Barrymore) had just before refused to save Cousins from financial ruin. After Eadie leaves Cousins (with the expensive cufflinks he gave her), he shoots himself. However, the evening isn't a total waste to Eadie; she becomes acquainted with T.R. when she gets him to retrieve the cufflinks from her stocking before the investigating policeman can ask embarrassing questions.

Eadie visits her new friend at his workplace to thank him. When she says she has been fired and that she is determined to marry a rich man, an alarmed T.R. gives her some money and leaves for Palm Beach, Florida. Eadie and Kitty follow and visit T.R.'s office. Eadie is spotted in the waiting room by T.R.'s son Tom (Franchot Tone). Not knowing who he is, Eadie tries to brush him off, but he is very persistent. Eventually, she learns his identity, but remains cool to him, since it becomes clear that he is not interested in marriage. Tom finally manages to get her alone in his bedroom in the Paige mansion, but she defends her virtue and, to his surprise, he lets her go.

Tom tells his father that he wants to marry Eadie, despite her disreputable past. T.R. gives his blessing, but after Tom leaves, calls the district attorney. Tom tells Eadie they are going to get married. After he leaves however, a man sneaks into her apartment. Some photographers catch her in the stranger's arms and the district attorney accuses her of stealing Cousins' jewelry and jails her. When Tom and his father come to see her, she tells Tom that T.R. must have framed her, but Tom's father is much more persuasive and Tom breaks up with Eadie.

Tom's rival, the married Charlie Turner, bails Eadie out. For revenge, she sneaks into T.R.'s stateroom on the liner he and Tom are taking to London. She emerges unexpectedly, clad only in lingerie, and embraces a surprised T.R just as photographers take his picture.

Having been disillusioned, Eadie gets drunk and turns to Charlie Turner. However, Kitty keeps them from being alone together as long as she can. Tom arrives just in time, having changed his mind, and puts Eadie in the shower to sober up. T.R. follows. To save his reputation, he has told the press she was innocent of the theft and that she was married to Tom. He is also impressed by her fighting spirit. A quick wedding is arranged on the spot.

Cast