The Lady Takes a Sailor 1949

Jennifer Smith is the head of the Buyer’s Research Institute, and she is in urgent need of additional funding to keep the operation afloat. The Tyson Institute has stepped in with an offer, and she marks the moment by celebrating with Susan Wayne, her friend and business partner, at Susan’s sun-kissed beach house on Long Island.

During a day at sea, Jennifer is out sailing when a fierce storm capsizes her boat near an underwater vehicle run by a man who goes by the name Davy Jones. He presents himself as a zoologist studying underwater life, and reluctantly saves her. He agrees to drop her ashore, but not before slipping sleeping pills into her drink. When the storm clears, Davy leaves her on the beach, where Susan Wayne and the Coast Guard have been searching for her. Susan believes Jennifer must have imagined the encounter and the mysterious vehicle, dismissing the sensational tale.

Back home, Jennifer tries to prove she didn’t dream it by pulling up photographs of the underwater vehicle from her camera, only to discover that the film seems to be missing. Word of her wild story reaches the Tyson Institute, and the funding offer is withdrawn. Furious but resolute, Jennifer resolves to prove that both Davy Jones and the underwater vehicle truly exist, and she heads out to find them.

What Jennifer doesn’t know is that Davy Jones is actually Bill Craig, a submarine engineer on a secret government mission. One night, while out with her fiancé, Ralph Whitcomb, at a club, Jennifer spots Raquel Riviera, a singer whose photos appeared in the underwater vehicle. Raquel Riviera denies knowing Davy. Davy himself arrives, and Jennifer confronts him, demanding the return of her film. Bill claims she must be mistaken and leaves with Raquel. Jennifer and Ralph follow, and when they briefly abandon their car, Jennifer breaks into it to search for identification and the film, but finds nothing.

Jennifer then hires Henry Duckworth as a private detective to help her uncover the truth. Bill learns of Henry’s stakeout and traps him in his apartment; Henry escapes, and Bill offers as much explanation as he can without revealing top-secret information. Jennifer, meanwhile, manages to reclaim her film. She is scheduled to meet with Susan, Henry, and a Tyson Institute representative to clear her name and secure funding, but Bill tracks her down and again attempts to steal the film. He crashes into the Tyson representative’s car, and both men return to the meeting. Faced with the moment of truth, Jennifer—who has fallen in love with Bill—decides to protect him and tells everyone that she made up the entire story. The funding is withdrawn, and Jennifer ends up starting a new life with Bill.