Washington Story is a 1952 American comedy drama film starring Van Johnson and Patricia Neal.

On her first trip to Washington, D.C., aspiring reporter Alice Kingsley is shown around by Gilbert Nunnally, a successful radio commentator.

Alice wants to see if there is any truth to that, and is directed by Nunnally to a young Massachusetts Democratic congressman with a squeaky-clean image, Joe Gresham, and introduces herself.

After a late-night meeting, apparently with Emery, and another private parley with him at a cocktail party, Joe becomes strongly suspect in Alice‘s eyes.

It was he, not Emery, that the all-night meeting had been with; Alice also learns that Joe had an honest change of heart about the bill, recognizing it was for the greater good.