Plot summary

DAVID and ANN SMITH have a volatile marriage, to say the least. They also have several "rules" concerning their marriage. One is that they will not leave their bedroom until they've patched up after a quarrel. The latest dispute goes on for three days. David, a lawyer, holds up his whole practice with his friend and partner while the bickering couple patch it up.Once they've made up, they're back at the usual loving bickering. They also have a rule that once a day they can ask the other a question in which they must answer honestly. Mrs. Smith asks her beloved: "If they could do it all over again, would he marry her?" Mr. Smith, believing honesty is the best policy, tells her "No" because of the impact on his freedom, which is decidedly the wrong answer.That afternoon, MR. DEEVER comes to see David. An officious man, Deever informs David that because of a legal technicality due to a state boundary dispute, he and his wife aren't legally married. They'll have to marry again. David's somewhat amused by the whole idea, not realizing that Mr. Deever is a family friend and also goes to see Ann telling her the same thing, decides to have some fun with the situation.David takes Ann out for a romantic evening, going to the restaurant they used to attend, which has gone way downhill when the original owner goes back to Italy. Further, the dress that Ann wore when they were married has "shrunk" and doesn't fit. When David takes Ann up to the apartment and appears intent on carrying on as a married couple Ann is outraged with his actions given they aren't legally married and David didn't take immediate action to get remarried.Furious, Ann tosses him out of their apartment. David seeks solace at his club, where carousing member CHUCK BENSON gives him advice. Now David finds himself in a peculiar position. Having stated that morning to Ann that he might not marry her again if he had it to do over, he now has the chance "not" to be married but now realizes he does want to be married to her, after all.Thus, David pursues her all over town. Unfortunately, Ann will have none of it. When he threatens to cut her off financially, Ann allows that she's taken a job at a department store. David tries to drag her away physically from her new position. Ann loses the job anyway, when her boss, whom she dated the previous evening, realizes she's married, which is against store policy.Meanwhile, David abandons his work, getting behind in his cases. His partner, JEFF, asks to make a dinner date with Ann, hoping to straighten everything out, but, to David's chagrin, Jeff takes the opportunity to ask Ann out on a date. David unwillingly retaliates by going out with some FLOOZIES arranged by club member chuck Benson, and everyone ends at the same club with David trying to avoid Ann catching him with his date. David tries to extract himself from the embarrassing situation by giving himself a bloody nose - not an easy task, requiring that he bop himself in the face a few times. Ann leaves with Jeff, angry that David's "date" is acting like Florence Nightingale. Ann and Jeff attend an amusement park, getting stuck in a ride in the rain. Jeff starts getting a cold. They go back to Jeff's apartment, where Jeff proves ever the gentleman, reluctant to make any moves on Ann. When he is convinced to have a few drinks, he gets goofy and she leaves.The following day, David continues following Ann, this time by cab, pretending to the CABBIE that he's a private detective. He follows her into his law office, finding her in partner Jeff's office, along with Jeff's PARENTS. David finds out that Jeff's Parents consider their son engaged to Ann, so David, determined to break this up, starts making it sound as though Ann's a problem. Horrified, Jeff's Parents believe she's on the "trashy" side.Ann and Jeff travel to Lake Placid to meet Jeff's Parents. When they arrive, they find they've been relegated to remote adjoining cabins. David shows up, frozen in the snow, collapsing in front of them. They rush him to a warm bed, where he prattles on, apparently only half conscious. Ann feels sorry for him.When Jeff sees how connected they still are, he politely agrees to withdraw his offer of marriage. Ann realizes that David is just faking being sick, she's furious with him, confronting him. The two have one of their royal fights. But later, after dinner, Ann worries about David, telling Jeff she intends to make him dislike her once and for all which is really a ploy to make David jealous. While David's in an adjoining cabin, Ann who is alone pretends that she and Jeff are having an intimate time.David rushes in, realizes that she's only pretending. Furious, Ann wants David to stand up to Jeff but he doesn't. Jeff's Parents show up as all parties are entangled in this most sticky romantic mess. But the bickering David and Ann end up together, after Ann, hoping to escape him on skis, becomes trapped in a room with him when he knocks her back into a chair, skis akimbo. As with their rule, they won't leave the room until they've made up. After a few angry words, Ann begins to calm down and soon they begin to kiss.