The wealthy Mrs. Mathilda Prentiss, her sullen daughter Ann, and playboy son Humbolt are vacationing at a luxurious summer resort, where they are joined by Ann's fiancé, T. Mosley Thorpe, an eccentric, middle-aged millionaire who is writing a monograph on snuffboxes. Ann is getting no attention from Mosley and convinces her mother to hire Dick Curtis, the hotel's handsome and youthful desk clerk, to escort her for the summer. Dick hesitates, but his fiancée, Arlene Davis, encourages him to accept the job. With Dick's help, Ann buys a new wardrobe and jewels and gets a new coiffure, transforming herself into a lovely young woman. Meanwhile, Humbolt has discovered Arlene's charms, and Mrs. Prentiss has hired an impresario named Nicoleff to direct her annual charity show. The parsimonious Mrs. Prentiss wants to cut corners on the production, but Nicoleff, along with Schultz, his set decorator, Louis Lamson, the hotel manager, and Betty Hawes, the hotel stenographer, are plotting to make a big profit at the wealthy woman's expense. Betty, who has been taking dictation for Mosley, is also scheming to blackmail the befuddled writer, by suggesting he use her name in the lyrics for a love song. When she addresses a copy to herself, it reads like a proposal. By the time the show goes on, Ann and Dick are in love, Arlene has married Humbolt and Mrs. Prentiss discovers Mosley's entanglement with Betty, who is suing him for breach of promise. The lavish musical is a hit, but has cost Mrs. Prentiss a small fortune. Finally, Ann defies her mother and marries Dick.