Prominent Paris art collector Charles Bonnet forges and sells famous artists' paintings. His disapproving daughter, Nicole, constantly fears his being caught. Late one night at their mansion, Nicole encounters a burglar, Simon Dermott, holding her father's forged "
Van Gogh". She threatens him with an antique gun that accidentally fires, slightly wounding his arm. Wanting to avoid an investigation that would uncover her father's fake masterpieces, Nicole does not contact the police, and instead drives the charming Simon to his lavish hotel in his expensive sports car, then takes a cab home. Charles is lending the Kléber-Lafayette Museum his renowned "
Cellini" Venus statuette for an exhibition. The statue was actually sculpted by his father. Charles has never sold it, knowing scientific testing would reveal it as a fake, rendering his entire collection suspect. Charles signs the museum's standard insurance policy, unaware it includes a forensic examination. Withdrawing the Venus from the exhibition would raise suspicions. Desperate to protect her father, Nicole asks Simon to steal the Venus before the examination. He claims it is impossible to steal the Venus, but changes his mind upon realizing he has fallen for Nicole. American tycoon Davis Leland, an avid art collector, is obsessed with owning the Venus. He arranges to meet Nicole solely to purchase the statue, but finds her attractive. At their second meeting, Leland proposes marriage to ensure he can obtain the statue, but Nicole hurriedly accepts his ring as she rushes off to the museum for the "heist". Nicole and Simon hide in the museum's utility closet until closing time. After observing the guards' routine, Simon repeatedly sets off the security alarm using a toy
boomerang until the "faulty" system is finally disabled. Simon notices Nicole's resemblance to the Venus, and she admits that her grandmother posed for the statue that her grandfather sculpted; Simon admits knowing that the Venus was fake and only agreed to the heist for her. Simon takes the Venus, and Nicole, disguised as a cleaning woman, hides it in a bucket. When the Venus is discovered missing, they escape in the ensuing chaos. Following the robbery, Leland seeks to acquire the Venus by any means. Simon offers to "sell" it to him on condition that it never be displayed to anyone and that he never contact the Bonnet family again; Simon says Leland will be contacted later for payment. Leland runs from Nicole when she tries to return the engagement ring; Simon later secretly adds the ring to boxed statue before giving it to Leland, who immediately leaves the country with it. Nicole meets Simon at the Ritz Hotel to celebrate their success, though she is stunned when he admits it was his first heist. Simon is actually an expert consultant and investigator hired by major art galleries to enhance security and detect forgeries. He was investigating Charles' art collection when Nicole first encountered him. When Charles unexpectedly arrives, Simon assures him that the statue will soon be safely out of the country. Charles is relieved though momentarily disappointed that there will be no $1 Million insurance payment due to the statue never being authenticated. Simon insists Charles give up forgery, to which he agrees. As Nicole and Simon are on their way to get married, a collector who admired Charles's new "Van Gogh" arrives at the Bonnet residence. Nicole tells Simon that it is his father's "cousin". Simon admires her newfound flair for lying, and they drive off to begin their new life together. ==Cast==