The film opens with debutante Louise Durant (Elizabeth Taylor) announcing to her haughty father (played by Louis Calhern) that she is leaving their luxurious home to go to Zurich with her lover—an aspiring violinist, Paul Bronte (Vittorio Gassman).
The movie's narrative commences with the debutante Louise Durant (Elizabeth Taylor) announcing her decision to leave her luxurious home and travel to Zurich with her lover, an aspiring violinist named Paul Bronte (Vittorio Gassman).