A Notorious Affair

Billie Dove stars as British heiress Lady Patricia Hanley, who ditches high society for love when she marries penniless musician Paul Gherardi (Basil Rathbone). Exiled from both country home and family coffers, Patricia keeps her man hale and hearty while his considerable talent propels him to the top. Paul's ascent is not based solely on artistic merit, however, but on the patronage of the Countess Olga Balakireff (Kay Francis). The Countess expects a most singular payment for her services, and the sensitive and selfish Paul is left as shattered as his marriage when she is done extracting it. With no one to turn to and nowhere to go, Paul must rely on Patricia's tender mercies for his physical and emotional recovery. Fully coming into her own as a film star with her riveting performance as the Countess, Kay Francis captures the screen as the voracious man-eater who dispenses with her conquests as casually as she seduces them.