| Director | Charles Walters |
|---|---|
| Genre | comedy film, musical film |
| Runtime | 109 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $2.2 million |
| Box office | $4.4 million |
Josh and Dinah Barkley are a husband-and-wife musical comedy team at the peak of their careers. After finishing the opening night of their new musical, the couple take a limousine ride to Mrs. Belney's afterparty. During the ride, Josh mildly criticizes Dinah for not allowing the audience to emotionally connect with her performance. When they arrive at the party, Dinah meets French playwright Jacques Pierre Barredout, who suggests that Dinah should quit musical comedy and do serious acting. Meanwhile, Josh waits outside and is prepared to leave. He returns inside and finds Dinah and Jacques together. When the couple arrive home, Josh accuses Dinah of flirting with Barredout. Dinah then tells her husband that Jacques believes she can be a dramatic actress, but Josh believes she should stay in musical theater.
Sometime later, Bert Felsher, the musical's director, feels Josh and Dinah's temperamental relationship is affecting the show. He and Ezra Millar, a musical composer and friend of the Barkleys, introduce the couple to Shirlene May, who has been hired as Dinah's understudy. At the Flandreau Art Gallery, the Barkleys attend an art exhibition where Dinah is displeased with her portrait painting, and that the painter compares Josh to Svengali. As they leave, Dinah encounters Jacques and Mrs. Belney who invites them for a country trip, but she declines the invitation. The Barkleys return to their Broadway musical and perform a Scottish musical number.
Backstage, the couple decide to take a weekend vacation in Danbridge, and accompany themselves with Ezra. While Josh and Ezra play golf at the country club, Dinah discusses Jacques's new play, a dramatization of the life of Sarah Bernhardt, with actress Pamela Driscoll to star in. Dinah however criticizes this casting suggestion and proposes she is the better choice, in which Jacques agrees.
Back in New York, Dinah secretly rehearses for the lead role in Jacques's play. Josh discovers this, and accuses her of having an affair with the playwright. From there, the Barkleys announce their separation as Josh proceeds to perform solo in his next musical while Dinah auditions for Jacques's play. At Dinah's audition, Ezra attempts to persuade her into performing at a hospital benefit concert by claiming Josh will not be attending, but she declines. Backstage, with Josh, Ezra tells him that Dinah is struggling in her auditions. Interested, Josh secretly watches Dinah's rehearsals. He returns to have dinner with Ezra and Shirlene, where he believes in Dinah's dramatic abilities but he believes Jacques is giving Dinah unclear direction. Josh leaves the dinner table, and phones Dinah where he impersonates Jacques. He gives her advice to help improve her performance and as a result, Dinah gives an impressive audition.
At the benefit concert, Ezra performs a piano piece with an orchestra. Josh and Dinah reunite backstage and are prompted by Ezra to give an impromptu song-and-dance performance. After the performance, Dinah declines any potential reunion, feeling Josh has been taken her for granted. Jacques's new play The Young Sarah opens and Dinah's performance receives positive reviews. Josh impersonates Jacques once more to congratulate her. However, the real Jacques arrives at Dinah's dressing room and she realizes the deception. Dinah rushes into Josh's apartment and when he arrives, Josh states they will continue with the divorce as he has fallen in love with Shirlene. Before she leaves, Dinah reveals that she knew Josh had impersonated Jacques. Josh acknowledges the deception and congratulates Dinah in person. The two reunite as a musical team.