Winthrop Putnam is the Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State, and was formerly Assistant Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State. Winthrop tells a Frenchman, Philippe Farquotte,[clarification needed] but Philippe is not allowed any help from his friends to get back home to Paris. Philippe ends up becoming an employee aboard a ship. Winthrop jumps on board to give Ethel Barrymore unhappy information about her representing the American theatre at an art exposition in Paris. Instead, in a case of mistaken identity, the invitation is delivered to Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, an All-American Broadway chorus girl. Ethel and Winthrop meet on the way to Paris and fall in love. However, Winthrop is engaged to Marcia Sherman, daughter of his boss Secretary Robert Sherman. After a misunderstanding, Winthrop and Ethel ultimately end up together.
