Composer James Geoffrey Seymour is a strong supporter of his wife Mary Hale's singing career and appears with her on the vaudeville circuit. Consequently, when wealthy backer Larry Bryant persuades Broadway producer Cornelius Collier Jr. to put Mary in his show, Seymour and Hale split up as Mary reluctantly travels to Atlantic City with the show and Jimmy remains behind in New York. As Mary soars to stardom, Jimmy struggles with his musical compositions until one day, he reads a gossip column that claims that his wife is having an affair with Bryant. A drunken Jimmy confronts Mary with the accusation, and in the ugly argument that ensues, Mary asks for a divorce. On Christmas Eve, Jimmy is served with divorce papers and bitterly throws his compositions into the fire. When his friend Herman burns his hands while trying to rescue Jimmy's work, Jimmy realizes that the only respite from his misery lies in his composition and throws himself into his work until he finally sells an operetta. Throughout it all, Mary has never stopped loving Jimmy, but when he fails to contest the divorce, she agrees to marry Bryant. On the day that Mary is to sail to England to wed Bryant, Jimmy comes to her to renew their love, but she tells him that he is too late. However, when Collier refuses to produce Jimmy's show unless Mary will star in it, Mary agrees to remain in New York. On opening night, Bryant realizes that Mary still loves Jimmy and breaks their engagement, freeing Mary to return to Jimmy, her true love.