The film follows the adventures and misadventures of Edward Henry (Denry) Machin, an ambitious young man from a poor background.

He meets the charming and socially well-connected Countess of Chell, a client of Duncalf's, and is given the job of sending out invitations to a grand municipal ball.

Denry quickly realises, though, that he can make more money by advancing loans, at a highly profitable interest rate, to the many tenants who are in arrears.

While on holiday in Llandudno with Ruth (accompanied by her friend Nellie Cotterill as chaperone), he witnesses a shipwreck and the rescue of the sailors—an event that he turns to his financial advantage.

Denry starts up the Five Towns Universal Thrift Club, a bold venture that allows members to purchase goods on credit.

Clark recorded a vocal version of the film's theme, with lyrics by her long-term accompanist, Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson.

"[5] The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther gave the film a mixed review, writing "the script Eric Ambler has adapted from Arnold Bennett's old novel, The Card, is provokingly uninvested with dramatic compulsion or push.

"[6] In the New York Daily News, reviewer Kate Cameron called the film "delightfully amusing", awarding it three-and-a-half out of four stars.