In
London, Monica Strong and her married lover, Harry Rawlinson, attend a
scavenger hunt party given by Monica's aunt, Carrie Valentine. Carrie announces a tie-breaking challenge: Women must find a man married more than 5 years and faithful, and men must find a woman over 20 who has never had a love affair. Monica departs to find her father, Sir Christopher Strong, who is devoted to her mother. Harry follows on a motorbike and crashes. Lady Cynthia Darrington, a famous aviator, helps him, and goes along: She has never had a love affair and is a great deal older than 20. At the party, Cynthia meets Christopher, a friend of her late father. She takes him flying. Cynthia and Monica become friends. Lady Elaine Strong, fears the friendship growing between Cynthia and Christopher, who insists that she is a good influence on their daughter. Monica comes home with Harry one night, drunk, and Elaine tells him that if he is an honourable man he won't see her daughter again. Harry agrees. Christopher asks Cynthia to persuade Monica to go with the family to
Cannes. Monica agrees, if Christopher takes her to see Cynthia in an aerial show. At their villa, Elaine anticipates having a whole month alone with her husband. A telegram arrives: They have persuaded Cynthia to join them. Elaine is crushed. Two weeks later, Monica is miserable. At Carrie Valentine's party, Christopher and Cynthia have eyes only for each other. Elaine goes home with a headache. Monica allows Carlo, a stranger, to kiss her, and Christopher, eager to be alone with Cynthia, lets Carlo drive his daughter “home.” Christopher and Cynthia confess that they are deeply in love, but agree never to meet again. A heartbroken Elaine sees them saying farewell and believes they are lovers. Cynthia joins a race around the world, starting in
New York City. A distraught, suicidal Monica arrives to tell her that Harry, now divorced, refuses to marry her: She told him about her night with Carlo. Cynthia convinces her that Harry will forgive her. Cynthia calls Christopher and tells him not to read Monica's letter. He does and, in a fit of gratitude, goes to her an hour before she leaves for New York. All they can do is say goodbye. When she lands in San Francisco, Christopher, on a mission to
Washington, calls her from New York to say he is waiting. She wins the race. Their reunion is passionate. She did not want to die without knowing love. He promises never to ask her to give up anything. A lamp turns on. Her hand reaches up. “I love my beautiful bracelet… I'm shackled.” He translates the motto on her ring: “Courage conquers death.” “But not love,”:she adds. “Give up this altitude flight, for me.” She agrees. Harry and Monica reconcile. Christopher, just home from the
States. agrees to their marriage, but Elaine refuses to go to the registry office with them. Six months later, Christopher and Cynthia meet for lunch in an out-of-the-way inn. She misses flying. Monica and Harry, who used the same trysting place, drop by for sentimental reasons. They overhear Cynthia and Christopher confessing their love, and leave. Monica and Harry tell her parents that they are expecting a child. They are delighted. Elaine thanks Cynthia for being Monica's friend. Meanwhile, Cynthia's doctor has told her not to fly because she is pregnant. She plans to tell Christopher that night, but he stays with the family, celebrating. The next evening she asks him, “Suppose it were I?” Christopher makes it clear that it would be his duty to leave his wife and marry her. Cynthia never tells Christopher about the pregnancy. She writes to him, saying that she plans to break the world altitude record—33,000 feet—and not come back. She adds: “Courage can conquer even love.” As the plane climbs, flashbacks over the
altimeter show her memories. At 34,000 feet, weeping, she pulls off her oxygen mask. She tries to put it on again but loses consciousness. The plane nosedives into a fiery crash. In London, a winged statue honors her. ==Cast==