A Millionaire for Christy 1951
Directed by
George Marshall
Made by
Bert E. Friedlob Productions
A Millionaire for Christy Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for A Millionaire for Christy (1951). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Christabel “Christy” Sloane, Eleanor Parker, is a San Francisco-based legal secretary whose taste for finer things clashes with her tight finances, prompting her to confide in her coworker Patsy Clifford, Una Merkel, that she needs to marry a millionaire. When her boss assigns her to Los Angeles to tell Peter Ulysses Lockwood, Fred MacMurray, about an enormous inheritance—28,000,000 pesos ($2,000,000) bequeathed by a deceased uncle—and to obtain the necessary legal papers, Patsy sees it as the perfect setup and urges Christy to charm the heir before revealing the windfall. Christy isn’t eager to be a gold digger, but Patsy’s push lingers as she heads south toward her destiny.
Peter Ulysses Lockwood is the radiant, self-promoting host of a popular radio program, the so-called Sunshine Man, who dispenses syrupy homilies and moral tales about “spreading the sunshine around” to his sponsors and audience. He’s about to marry heiress June Chandler, Kay Buckley, when Christy arrives on the wedding day. She makes a dramatic entrance, catching Peter off guard as he scrambles to dress and board a honeymoon cruise to Honolulu. In a burst of impulse, Christy appears in his apartment, and the two share a charged, impulsive moment. Peter, thinking she’s a mentally unstable stranger rather than a calculating visitor, carries her to his bed. He is initially unmoved by her pleas, while Christy, in a muddled mix of purpose and attraction, finds herself drawn to him more deeply than she anticipated.
Doc, Dr. Roland Cook, Richard Carlson, arrives as the best man and quickly judges the scene wrong. He suspects Peter is simply having a last fling before the ceremony, and he helps steer the situation through a series of mistaken impressions. At the Chandler mansion, Christy’s insistence that Peter has inherited a fortune convinces the guests—and even June—that she is unstable. The wedding is halted, and Peter is urged to drive Christy to Doc’s La Jolla clinic to prove she’s sane. A foggy detour sends the couple off the road onto a desolate beach, where they fumble for keys and spend the night with a group of Mexican railroad workers who welcome them as if they were newlyweds. The next morning brings a humorous, if disorienting, return to reality as Peter apologizes for misreading the situation while the car is towed away.
Back in La Jolla, Doc and Christy reconcile the truth with their own plans. Doc laments the clinic’s financial troubles while noting that Christy’s affection for Peter is real. He schemes to stretch Christy’s “illness” for 24 hours, then to coax Peter into “letting her down gently” under the ruse of a cure. In a staged hotel atmosphere, Doc enlists June and manipulates the emotional currents around Peter, who, still under the therapy’s influence, appears to be surrendering his inheritance to various charities—including Doc’s own clinic.
The next morning, Peter wakes to a flood of press and well-wishers celebrating his supposed generosity. The truth hits hard: he has inherited two million dollars and has given it all away. Realizing the rift he owes Christy, he searches for her, only to find her leaving—the moment he steps into the hallway, he chases after her into a crowded station. Christy hides in the ladies’ room, while Peter proclaims his love. With a mix of determination and luck, they elude the pursuing crowd and hop aboard a train with their Mexican friends to start a new life together.
spreading the sunshine around
A Millionaire for Christy Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of A Millionaire for Christy (1951) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Christy's financial longing and secret mission
In San Francisco, Christabel 'Christy' Sloane, a legal secretary, is strained by her desire for finer things and her tight finances. She confides to Patsy that she needs to marry a millionaire. Her boss assigns her to deliver news of a 28,000,000 peso inheritance to a man she hasn't met, and to obtain the necessary legal documents, a plan she accepts as a possible shortcut to her dream.
Assignment to Los Angeles to inform of inheritance
Her boss sends Christy to Los Angeles to inform Peter Ulysses Lockwood of the inheritance and to secure the legal paperwork. Patsy encourages her to romance the heir before revealing the fortune, arguing that a little charm could smooth the path to wealth. Christy reluctantly embraces the mission as her chance to escape her financial squeeze.
Arrival on the wedding day and first encounter
Christy arrives at Peter's apartment on the day of his wedding, and is quickly swept into a chaotic scene as Peter rushes to dress for the ceremony. He half-dresses her and carries her to his bed, while she awakens and tries to explain the mission. Doc, Peter's friend and psychiatrist, enters and misreads the situation as a final fling rather than a brokered plan.
Peter's misperception and Doc's arrival
Peter believes Christy is unstable and tries to explain away the incident to Doc, who assumes the scene is merely a last-ditch fling before marriage. Christy struggles to state her true assignment, but the confusion deepens as they travel toward the Chandler mansion. The mounting misinterpretations threaten to derail the wedding altogether.
Wedding chaos and mistaken impression
At the Chandler mansion, Christy's erratic behavior convinces everyone that she is Peter's girlfriend and not the intended fiancée. The wedding is halted while Peter seeks to clear his name and handle the supposed inheritance. Doc watches the fallout with a mix of irritation and opportunism.
Road trip to La Jolla and car trouble
To salvage the situation, Peter drives Christy toward Doc's La Jolla clinic for verification. A fog blankets the highway, and Peter accidentally veers off, leaving them stranded on a beach. The wet, weary pair push through the mishap, beginning to glimpse a different connection between them.
Rescue by Mexican railroad workers and celebration
A group of Mexican railroad workers finds the stranded couple and welcomes them into their crew car on a nearby siding. They treat the guests like newlyweds, with dancing and tequila creating a warm, carefree atmosphere. Amid the moonlit night, Christy and Peter share a kiss, deepening their mutual attraction.
Doc's scheme to cure and the 'therapy' nights
Back in a La Jolla hotel, Doc schemes to prolong Christy’s 'illness' to keep Peter from extricating himself too soon. June is summoned, and together the trio drinks tequila as Doc mocks his own role. Peter, thinking he’s humorously indulging Christy, is nudged toward pledging the inheritance to charities as part of a sham therapy.
Morning shock: inheritance pledged away
The next morning, Peter wakes to a media frenzy and learns that he actually inherited two million dollars but has already given it away to charities. He is dumbfounded and feels the need to apologize to Christy for doubting her. The revelation shifts the emotional balance as truth begins to surface.
Peter declares love and chases Christy
Peter goes to find Christy after the confrontation, declaring his love and insisting on a chance at happiness. Christy disappears into the bustle of the train station, where she hides in the ladies' room as reporters and authorities close in. He tries to coax her out, using dramatic gestures to salvage their bond.
Escape with the Mexican friends
To dodge the pursuing press and police, the couple escapes by boarding a train with their Mexican friends. The mood shifts from chaos to a buoyant sense of freedom as they flee together toward an uncertain future. The sequence seals their bond as a real pair rather than a schemed romance.
New beginning amid pursuit
On the moving train, Peter and Christy seize their chance to start anew, supported by their unlikely group of friends. The chase ends with them choosing each other, despite the scrutiny of the world around them. Their decision marks a hopeful, if precarious, future together.
A Millionaire for Christy Characters
Explore all characters from A Millionaire for Christy (1951). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Christabel 'Christy' Sloane (Eleanor Parker)
A sharp-witted legal secretary from San Francisco who longs for a more lavish life. She navigates moral lines to secure a fortune, yet her feelings evolve as the ruse entangles real romance.
Peter Ulysses Lockwood (Fred MacMurray)
A debonair radio host known as the Sunshine Man, adept at charming audiences while managing personal relationships with a self-promoting flair. His public image masks a wily, self-serving core.
Dr. Roland 'Doc' Cook (Richard Carlson)
A pragmatic psychiatrist who crafts a calculated scheme to reveal and exploit Christy's supposed illness. He combines clinical language with opportunism, steering events to serve his own interests.
Patsy Clifford (Una Merkel)
Christy's practical coworker who nudges her toward the plan to win the inheritance. Witty and loyal, she helps orchestrate the ruse while keeping one step ahead of chaos.
June Chandler (Kay Buckley)
Heiress fiancée of Peter, whose own ambitions and suspicions complicate the love triangle. Her loyalty to her fiancé is tested as wealth and reputations collide.
Benjamin Chandler (Raymond Greenleaf)
June's father and a pillar of the Chandler family’s social status. His presence underscores how wealth and lineage influence romantic outcomes and social expectations.
Manolo (Chris-Pin Martin)
A colorful supporting character who adds flavor to the Mexico-bound sequence, highlighting cross-cultural camaraderie during the journey.
A Millionaire for Christy Settings
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Time period
1940s
Set in the post-war era when radio personalities and social status shaped public perception, the film blends glamour with comedic farce. Wealth, reputation, and quick romances are central to the plot, reflecting the era’s fascination with celebrity culture. The narrative uses era-specific media dynamics to fuel misunderstandings and social maneuvering.
Location
San Francisco, Los Angeles, La Jolla
The story traverses California's coastal urban centers, starting in San Francisco, moving to Los Angeles, and finishing near La Jolla. The locations evoke sun-soaked glamour and the entertainment culture of mid-century America, underscoring themes of social climbing and prestige. Each place frames the contrast between appearances and financial aspiration that drives the characters.
A Millionaire for Christy Themes
Discover the main themes in A Millionaire for Christy (1951). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Romance vs Money
Christy's pursuit of a wealthy husband contrasts with genuine affection, revealing how money can both lure and complicate love. The plot uses romantic manipulation as a vehicle for social mobility, then tests real feelings against calculated schemes. Ultimately, true romance emerges from sincere emotion rather than financial gain.
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Appearance vs Reality
Characters misread one another due to façades and misrepresented motives. Christy pretends to be someone she's not, while Peter hides his bachelor persona behind the Sunshine Man image. The contrast between surface charm and underlying intent drives the comedic and dramatic turns of the story.
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Media and Celebrity Culture
The Sunshine Man radio persona demonstrates how media can manufacture identity and influence relationships. Public image, sponsorships, and broadcast persona guide character decisions as much as private truth. The plot satirizes fame's power to shape fate and moral choices.
A Millionaire for Christy Spoiler-Free Summary
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In sun‑kissed San Francisco, Christy Sloane works as a legal secretary whose aspirations for a life of finer things clash with the reality of a modest paycheck. Her restless ambition is fueled by endless conversations with her witty coworker Patsy Clifford, who teases her with the idea that a marriage to a millionaire would solve all of Christy’s financial woes. The film opens with a gentle, breezy comedy of manners that underscores the era’s glamorous yet grounded atmosphere, setting the stage for a story that mixes light‑hearted ambition with a yearning for genuine connection.
When the firm’s boss assigns Christy to a business trip to Los Angeles, she is tasked with delivering a surprising piece of legislation: the recently deceased uncle of a well‑known radio personality has left him a two‑million‑dollar fortune. The recipient, Peter Lockwood, is the effervescent host of the “Sunshine Man” program, a man whose public persona radiates optimism and moral pep talks. The premise places Christy at the threshold of a potentially life‑changing encounter, launching a playful tension between her pragmatic desire for wealth and the magnetic pull of the charismatic broadcaster.
Peter Lockwood embodies the golden‑age ideal of a charming celebrity, his radio voice echoing through the city as he prepares for a high‑profile wedding. Yet beneath his polished exterior lies a man who, like Christy, is navigating his own expectations and pressures. Their first meeting is arranged under the guise of legal business, but the uneasy chemistry between a savvy, aspiring secretary and a beloved media figure hints at a delightful clash of worlds—one driven by bright publicity, the other by personal aspiration.
The tone remains breezy and whimsical, buoyed by witty banter and a cascade of comedic misunderstandings. Supporting characters such as the ever‑observant Doc (Dr. Roland Cook) and the ever‑encouraging Patsy add layers of humor and warmth, ensuring the story stays anchored in its romantic‑comedy roots. As Christy and Peter navigate the siren call of fortunes, fame, and unexpected attraction, the film promises a cascade of zany mishaps and a growing, undeniable spark that keeps the audience smiling and wondering what “sunshine” truly means for each of them.
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