In 1930's Paris, American Michael Trevor (William Powell) poses as a novelist but is actually a former newspaper man who took the fall for some scam in the States and had to flee the country. Embittered, he now prints a weekly Tabloid journalism and blackmails Expatriate to keep their names out of his rag. While extorting $2000 from the wealthy Harry Taylor (Guy Kibbee) (a scam done so smoothly that Harry thinks Michael a great friend who has done him a big favor), Michael meets Harry's niece, Mary Kendall (Carole Lombard), and the two feel an instant mutual attraction. Mary has a boyfriend, Frank Reynolds (Lawrence Gray), but she is not passionate about him. Michael's partners in crime are Irene Hoffa (Wynne Gibson) and Fred (George Chandler). Irene is a former flame who is still not over Michael. She needs money to keep her brother out of prison and proposes that they extort more money from Harry by embroiling Mary in a scandal. Michael resists - he has a rule never to target women - but then reluctantly agrees.