Expensive Husbands 1937
Directed by
Robert Fischer
Made by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Expensive Husbands Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Expensive Husbands (1937). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Laurine Lynne, Beverly Roberts, unable to get work in the United States, travels to Europe hoping to find employment. She makes a grand entrance at a Viennese hotel, and Rupert, Patric Knowles one of the hotel’s waiters, is immediately enchanted by her. He insists on serving her dinner, but angers her when he says that although he admires her a great deal, he can tell from her movie love scenes that she has never known a great love.
Joe Craig, Laurine’s press agent, Allyn Joslyn, arrives with the news that because a certain bad actress is married to a count, she has gotten the part that Laurine wanted. He suggests that Laurine marry a title to help her career, and taking his advice, Laurine advertises for a marriage of convenience. Without realizing that it is Laurine who is advertising, Rupert, who is really an impoverished prince, answers the ad. Both are surprised when they learn the identity of their potential mates, but proceed with the marriage.
Although they love each other, both are convinced that the other went through with the marriage for selfish reasons: Laurine for the title, Rupert for the money. Nonetheless, when they are forced to spend their honeymoon night in a hotel that was Rupert’s ancestral home, Laurine waits hopefully for her groom to come to bed. Rupert, however, is disgusted by Laurine’s determination to return to Hollywood and her career and, in the middle of the night, leaves the hotel. The next morning, Joe calls with the news that Laurine has been signed to a picture. Her reviews are good, but now the press wants to meet the prince. During a press conference, where Laurine proclaims that she and her husband are madly in love, Rupert unexpectedly appears. He whispers that her love scenes have improved, but before he can explain his arrival, Laurine accuses him of returning for her money.
Rupert decides to punish her by spending as much money as possible, although as he reveals to Joe, he is actually depositing an equal sum of money to her bank account. Rupert now has money of his own because he met the conditions of a will stipulating that he must earn a certain amount of money before he inherited a fortune. He announces that he is returning to Vienna and begs Laurine to give up her career and come with him. At first, she refuses, but some time later, she arrives at Rupert’s home, which he has bought back, ready to be his wife.
Expensive Husbands Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Expensive Husbands (1937) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Laurine leaves the US for Europe to seek work
Unable to find opportunities back home, Laurine Lynne travels to Europe hoping to secure employment in a more welcoming market. The trip marks a fresh start for her career and sets the stage for a sequence of dramatic changes in her life.
Laurine makes a grand entrance at a Viennese hotel
Laurine arrives with star power, making a vivid entrance at a grand Viennese hotel. Rupert, one of the hotel’s waiters, is instantly taken with her and insists on serving her dinner, though he later inflames her when he questions the depth of her love life based on her screen performances.
Joe Craig pitches a career-saving idea
Joe Craig, Laurine's press agent, explains that a rival actress with a title has landed the role Laurine wanted. He suggests that Laurine secure a marriage of convenience to boost her career, planting the seed for a strategic romance.
Laurine advertises for a marriage of convenience
Taking Joe's advice, Laurine advertises for a marriage of convenience to help her image. Unbeknownst to her, Rupert—the impoverished prince—answers the ad, gathering an unexpected opportunity for himself.
Laurine and Rupert marry after discovering each other’s identities
Both discover the others' true identities and still decide to marry, moved by their attraction despite doubts about motive. They proceed with the union, convinced the arrangement could benefit both, even as suspicions linger.
Honeymoon night reveals tensions
The newlyweds spend their honeymoon night in Rupert's ancestral hotel, where Laurine hopes her husband will join her in a genuine partnership. Rupert, however, is repelled by her determination to return to Hollywood, and he leaves in the middle of the night.
Laurine lands a film contract after the break
The next morning Joe reports that Laurine has been signed to a new picture and that reviews are promising. The press begins insisting on meeting the prince, heightening the public tension around their marriage.
Press conference exposes marital tension
At a press conference, Laurine proclaims that she and her husband are madly in love, but Rupert suddenly appears and hints that her love scenes have improved. Before he can explain, Laurine accuses him of returning for her money, escalating their misunderstanding.
Rupert announces a planned financial punishing and reveals his wealth
Rupert decides to 'punish' Laurine by spending lavishly, only to reveal that he is depositing the same amount into her bank account. He explains that a will required him to earn a certain sum to inherit, and his earned wealth now gives him real independence.
Rupert invites Laurine to join him in Vienna
He tells Laurine that he is returning to Vienna and begs her to give up her career to be his wife. Although she initially refuses, the longing for a genuine union changes her mind over time.
Laurine chooses love over the star system
Some time later, Laurine goes to Rupert's home, prepared to be his wife and leave Hollywood behind. The decision signals a new life away from the glare of stardom and toward a shared future.
New life begins as they reunite
With the marriage realigned as a true partnership, Laurine and Rupert embark on their life together, replacing doubts with commitment. The story closes on their reconciliation, suggesting that love can outgrow ambition.
Expensive Husbands Characters
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Laurine Lynne (Beverly Roberts)
An ambitious actress who travels to Europe seeking work and recognition. She maneuvers into a marriage of convenience to boost her career, balancing glamour with a practical, self-preserving streak. Her love for Rupert gradually tests the boundaries between ambition and affection.
Prince Rupert Heinrich Franz Von Rentzau (Patric Knowles)
A penniless prince in disguise who seeks both security and love. He initially agrees to the marriage for money but finds himself genuinely drawn to Laurine. His strategic mind and restraint create a steady, principled presence amid the scheme.
Joe Craig (Allyn Joslyn)
Laurine's press agent and schemer who pushes the idea of a marriage to advance her career. He acts as a catalyst, orchestrating public narratives and manipulating situations to maximize Laurine’s fame. His cleverness hides a practical, profit-driven mindset.
Expensive Husbands Settings
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Location
Vienna, Austria
The story unfolds largely in Vienna, with a grand Viennese hotel as a key setting. The city’s old-world elegance and social scene frame the marriage-for-advancement plot. The backdrop contrasts Hollywood glamour with European aristocratic expectations.
Expensive Husbands Themes
Discover the main themes in Expensive Husbands (1937). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Love vs Money
Laurine and Rupert enter a marriage of convenience partly to secure wealth and status, but their growing bond challenges the initial motives. The film probes whether true affection can survive calculated arrangements. The tension between affection and financial interest drives the plot to its turning points.
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Marriage of Convenience
The central plot device is a marriage arranged for career and cash rather than love. Both parties negotiate power through the union, testing loyalty, pride, and the price of fame. The arrangement creates comic and dramatic conflict as pretenses blur with genuine feeling.
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Fame and Identity
Laurine’s career aspirations drive her decisions, revealing the price of fame in show business. Rupert’s princely identity adds social pressure and expectations. The story examines how appearances and public personas mask private desires, and what people are willing to sacrifice for stardom.
Expensive Husbands Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Expensive Husbands (1937). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the glittering aftermath of a stalled Hollywood career, Laurine Lynne boards a train bound for Vienna, hoping that the Old World’s charm might revive her fortunes. The film opens amid the elegant cafés and grand hotels of the Austrian capital, where the aurora of European sophistication meets the restless ambition of an American starlet. The tone is light‑hearted and breezy, flirting with classic romantic‑comedy tropes while hinting at the subtle clash between Old‑World aristocracy and New‑World celebrity.
Arriving in the city, Laurine reconnects with her persistent press agent, Joe Craig, who arrives bearing fresh disappointment: a rival actress has already secured the coveted role. Ever the opportunist, Joe proposes a daring shortcut—marrying into nobility to regain the spotlight. The suggestion sets the stage for a curious partnership, as a modest hotel waiter steps forward to answer an advertisement for a marriage of convenience. He is later revealed as Prince Rupert, a once‑wealthy noble now navigating life as a servant, his title disguising a modest reality. Their meeting is marked by witty banter and an undercurrent of mutual intrigue, establishing a dynamic that balances ambition, pride, and the promise of unexpected companionship.
Both Laurine and Rupert find themselves drawn into an arrangement that promises more than just a convenient contract. Each harbors private doubts—she wonders whether his title is a shield for financial need, while he questions whether her Hollywood dreams conceal a desire for status. Their interactions are tinged with humor and an almost palpable chemistry, teasing the possibility that genuine affection could blossom amid the transactional foundations of their union. As they navigate Vienna’s lively social scene, the film invites viewers to wonder whether love might emerge from the most calculated of agreements.
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