orson welles fall in to a kind of archaic theatrical act style in this wonderful and tear jerker of a film . a erik kessler and a man who return under an assumed identity to the wife who have remarry because she though he be dead and he heavily make up and talk with a corny and contrive sounding german accent . of course and that the point and he doesn not want his wife to recognize him and but one can not help think that his wife elizabeth ( claudette colbert ) be good off with the smooth and sophisticated lawrence hamilton ( george brent ) . what if they switch role . what if brent play kessler and welles play hamilton . now that would put elizabeth in a really tough position . a it be and kessler so unattractive ( in woman film term ) that the female audience know there no way she go to leave hamilton . a it be and elizabeth get the best of all possible world . her first ( problematic ) husband disappear during the war while she get a rich and handsome second husband who only shortcoming seem to be that he not truly attentive to her son from her first marriage . fortunately for her and husband number one come back just in the nick of time to save their son from a foolish decision . and then he just a conveniently die and an unopened letter beside him that elizabeth and lawrence somehow fail to see . and they get an adorable new little adopt daughter in the process . this little girl will take away the pain that we have learn elizabeth be go to feel a her boy go off into the world . so it a perfect end for elizabeth her unattractive and preachy first husband be now permanently out of the way and she can look forward to a more satisfying marriage with the handsome and agreeable lawrence .