Ladies Should Listen

Julian de Lussac, a man-about-town in Paris, is being chased by three women when he returns from South America with an option on a Chilean nitrate concession. The first woman, Marguerite, is the wife of thief Ramon Cintos, who followed Julian from Chile to steal his nitrate option. The second is Susi, the myopic daughter of millionaire Joseph Flamberg. She has little sex appeal but is adored by Julian's friend, Paul Vernet, who claims that she is his fiancée. At Cintos' request, Marguerite makes love to Julian and he falls for her. When Marguerite calls to tell Julian good-bye, he threatens to kill himself, after which the third woman, Anna Mirelle, the telephone operator, who has been listening in on his calls to Marguerite, rushes in to save his life and reveals a wealth of facts about him. Anna warns Julian about Marguerite's duplicity and confesses she procured information from the Cintoses' switchboard operator. Marguerite then enters, planning to get Julian into a compromising position so that her husband has an excuse to pull a gun on him. Anna takes Marguerite's place in Julian's bedroom and Cintos' plan is thwarted. Marguerite then convinces Cintos to let her run away with Julian, who agrees. To keep Julian in town, Anna poses as his nurse and tricks Susi into coming to Julian's apartment by telling her that Julian, delirious, keeps calling for her. Flamberg arrives and accuses Julian of compromising Susi's virtue. Anna then asks her doorman friend, Henri, to call Julian regarding the nitrate concession, and Flamberg overhears and agrees to a marriage between Julian and Susi to get his hands on the nitrate option. Julian then cancels his rendezvous with Marguerite, although Anna knows that he is still in danger. The next day Susi and Julian's engagement is announced in the papers and Cintos arrives with a gun. After claiming that Marguerite is leaving him for Julian, Cintos forces Julian to pay for stealing his wife by signing over the nitrate rights to him. Anna comes to the rescue with Henri, and when Julian thanks her with a brotherly kiss, she tells him out of spite that she is engaged to Henri. On the day of Susi and Julian's wedding, Julian confesses to Paul that he is in love with Anna and advises Paul to be more aggressive to win Susi. When Flamberg intimates that Paul is a "safe" date for Susi, he tells Susi that he is mad for her and accosts her passionately. Anna then leaves a good-bye note for Julian while Susi arrives to return his engagement ring. Heartbroken to learn that Anna has left, Julian finds her behind a curtain in his apartment and they kiss. (jakelijan virallinen teksti)