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Brief Synopsis
A businessman uses scientific research to turn his secretary into the perfect match for his playboy brother.
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Synopsis
Determined to find happiness in the big city, twenty-one-year-old Meg Wheeler leaves her small town to move to New York, where moments after arriving her suitcase containing all her clothes is stolen. Chagrined, Meg nevertheless makes her way to the Albemarle Hotel for Women and there joins a host of young, single girls looking for employment and husbands. Meg is quickly befriended by Jeannie Boyden and several other girls who offer her articles of clothing for her first interview the next day. At the interview with a sweater manufacturer, Meg demonstrates woefully inadequate secretarial skills but is hired nevertheless, when owner Mr. Maxwell is taken with how well she looks in a sweater. A few days later at the office, Meg meets handsome and wealthy client Ross Taford, who she begins dating regularly over the next two months. Pleased with Ross's respectful manner, Meg accepts his invitation to his aunt and uncle's cottage upstate. Certain that the chance to meet his family means that Ross is considering proposing, Meg marvels at how simply and quickly her big-city dreams have materialized. Once at the cottage, however, Meg is alarmed to discover that Ross has intentionally avoided mentioning that his relatives are out of town. Shocked by Ross's intentions, Meg flees the cottage and spends a stormy night alone at the train station. The next morning on the train, Meg runs into Ross and Mr. Maxwell. When Ross implies that he and Meg have spent the night together, Mr. Maxwell begins pursuing Meg at work, forcing her resignation. Jeannie arranges for Meg to participate in an advertising trial that her company, Doughton and Doughton, is conducting for a new cigarette, hoping that Meg might parlay this into a full-time job. Meg has a disastrous interview with the company's president, solemn Miles Doughton, proving completely inappropriate for the trial as she does not smoke. Upon leaving Miles's office, Meg accidentally bumps into his partner and brother, Evan, who, captivated by Meg's legs, offers her a job in the product research department over Miles's protests. Over the next several days, Evan teaches Meg how to conduct door-to-door product sampling, but she is disconcerted when one afternoon he insists upon returning alone to continue questioning a particularly attractive female consumer. When Evan fails to show up at work for several days, Miles summons Meg. After Meg tells him of Evan's behavior, Miles advises her that his brother has a reputation as a playboy and warns her not to succumb to Evan's charms. Meg indignantly insists that she is a serious worker, but later that afternoon she is arrested on a morals charge when a brothel in which she is conducting product trials is raided. After Miles bails Meg out, she is placed in the secretarial pool at the office. That night, Meg is asked to leave the Albemarle because of her arrest at the brothel. With no other possibilities, Meg accepts the invitation of housemate Lisa to take an apartment together. Within days, however, Meg learns that Lisa, an aspiring actress, is also a devoted partier. Meanwhile, although Evan has asked Meg out several evenings, she is disappointed that despite his claims of affection, he constantly dozes on their drives to lovers' lane. At work, the statistics-quoting Meg infuriates Miles with her inability to take dictation after her pencils keep breaking and is reassigned to door-to-door trials. Meg's first consumer proves to be Ross, who delightedly believes she has returned to forgive him. When he asks if he can see her again, Meg agrees until he repeats his invitation to the cottage. Upon returning home, Meg finds Lisa in the midst of a party with numerous male actors. After fending off several advances from drunken revelers, Meg spends the night locked in the bathroom. The next morning, Meg informs Lisa that she is moving out, but Lisa claims that Meg is jealous of the male attention she gets. Confused, Meg lunches with Jeannie to seek advice about men. Jeannie acknowledges the difficulties of being a single woman, confessing that her recent engagement to a mediocre man is due to fear of spending her life alone. Later after work, Meg approaches Miles about his theory of selling anything to anyone by appealing to the buyer's subconscious. Admitting that she has fallen for Evan, Meg asks Miles to try his theory out, using her as the "product" to "sell" to Evan. Miles considers that his brother might be more productive if he were married and agrees. Deciding that the first element in their plan must address "product packaging," Miles asks to see Meg's wardrobe, but upon taking him home, Meg finds Lisa has changed the lock, kept her clothes and gotten rid of her other effects. Miles offers to let Meg stay at his and Evan's home, as Evan is out of town. Miles then decides to go through Evan's address book and date each of Evan's girl friends to learn which features appeal to his brother. Soon after, Meg moves into a small apartment that Miles visits regularly to report the result of his dedicated research. Following Miles's advice, Meg begins changing her appearance and makeup, which soon attracts Evan's attention. After gradually undergoing a complete makeover that combines several of Evan's favorite girl friends'traits, Meg succeeds in winning his proposal. Unexpectedly troubled by her success, Meg nevertheless accompanies Evan home to inform Miles, who gives his consent. When Evan realizes that Meg has been in the house before, she and Miles admit to conspiring together in applying Miles's sales theory to Evan. Becoming upset, Meg refuses Evan's proposal and flees. Donning her own makeup and clothes, Meg then contacts Ross and declares that she is now ready to accept his invitation to the cottage. When Jeannie and her friends discover Meg's intentions, they inform Miles. On the train north, Meg has several drinks to bolster her courage, only to inform Ross that for six generations the women in her family have settled for nothing less than marriage, so she must again refuse to go to the cottage. Meanwhile, Miles and Evan board the train and while Miles fights with Ross, Meg confesses to Evan that she has fallen in love with his brother. Noting Miles's furious assault on Ross, Evan suggests his brother loves her too. Soon afterward, Meg and Miles are married.
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