American Girls

Summary

Beppie, Lola and Margie, the three talented daughters of the American millionaire James Brown, persuade their father to take them to Europe. As unexpected business matters prevent him from making the voyage, Mr Brown sends the girls off in the company of their governess and art-mistress Polly Dewar, saying that he will follow later.

On the ship the girls meet the film star Anny and her friend, the tenor Adelqui. Upon their arrival in Amsterdam the friends check in at Hotel Victoria. Polly is interested in painting, but the three girls are only interested in Adelqui. To see and hear him they go to the Rembrandt Theatre and afterwards to Café de Paris, where Anny and Adelqui are supping. Polly has to chaperon them, but to keep her occupied the girls bribe the head waiter, Janus Dommel, to pay her some attention. The girls provoke Anny into making a bet with them: each of the three is to attempt to win Adelqui from Anny within four weeks, after which they are to meet again in the café. For the ten thousand dollars at stake, Anny accepts, and makes the first move by moving with Adelqui to another hotel. Anny also engages a private detective to trail Adelqui: the man she inadvertently hires turns out to be Adelqui's manservant Tinus. Beppie is the first to try to win Adelqui's affections, by singing with him in an operetta in Rembrandt Theatre, but her attempt is foiled by Tinus who prevents the couple from meeting in Vondel Park and Café de Paris. Lola's attempt is no more fortunate.

At the bathing resort Zandvoort she and Adelqui visit, Tinus - disguised as bath-superintendent - spreads the rumour that Brown is ruined, convincing Adelqui that his hope of a rich marriage has come to nothing. It is now Margie's turn to try, and this she does with an Oriental dance. Just as Adelqui is about to embrace her, Mr Brown - warned by Tinus - arrives in Café de Paris and angrily sends his daughters away. Thus Anny, at the very last moment, wins her bet. Brown pays her the ten thousand dollars and decides to enjoy the rest of the evening in the café while his daughters think about their "sins".