Plot
Wyn Hayward (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), the idealistic son of famed London surgeon Sir John Hayward (Holmes Herbert), is immersed in his medical studies under the watchful eye of his father. His intense dedication leaves little time for Muriel (Loretta Young), Sir John's lovely young ward, who quietly adores him. His older brother Owen (Kenneth Thomson), more cynical and worldly, mocks Wyn’s seriousness and sheltered nature.
Recognizing that Wyn needs a break, Sir John sends him on a holiday to Lake Como. There, Wyn is summoned to the apartment of Rayetta Muir (Carmel Myers), a glamorous and temperamental stage star, to tend to a supposed illness. Though not yet licensed to practice, Wyn is pressured into examining her. Isolated and bored by the quiet resort, Rayetta finds the young, earnest Wyn an amusing distraction—and he soon falls deeply in love with her.
They share a brief but passionate affair. When Rayetta returns to her bustling life in London’s theater world, Wyn follows, intoxicated by love but ill-prepared for the emotional consequences. In the city, he finds Rayetta already entangled with two other men: Lord Durhugh, an aging aristocrat, and LeGrand, a flashy French boxer. To her, Wyn is just a romantic interlude—one of many.
Wyn becomes obsessed and increasingly unstable. When Rayetta visits the Hayward home, meeting Sir John and Muriel, tensions rise. Muriel senses the connection and is heartbroken. Meanwhile, Rayetta, tiring of Wyn's intensity, attempts to distance herself.
On New Year’s Eve, driven by jealousy and humiliation, Wyn storms into a party at Rayetta’s apartment. There, he overhears her casually discussing her dalliances with Durhugh and LeGrand. In a blind rage, he attacks her and strangles her—then flees, believing he has killed her.
He returns home in despair and confesses the crime to his father. Horrified, Sir John offers to take the blame, hoping to protect his son’s future. He rushes to Rayetta’s apartment to destroy any evidence. But fate intervenes: a doctor is already on the scene, having revived Rayetta. Sir John is assumed to be the physician summoned to assist.
Moments later, Wyn arrives to find Rayetta alive and well, and both father and son realize they are spared from tragedy. In a moving conclusion, the two embrace—Wyn deeply changed by the emotional storm he has weathered.
