When the general manager of Gifford Motors dies, company owner Ernest Gifford (Clifton Webb) invites the three candidates for the position to New York City so he can personally evaluate them and their wives. Bill and Katie Baxter (Cornel Wilde and June Allyson) are a loving couple from Kansas City, Missouri. Elizabeth Burns (Lauren Bacall) is becoming estranged from her driven husband Sidney (Fred MacMurray) because his work is consuming him and undermining his health; she fears a promotion would eventually kill him. Jerry Talbot (Van Heflin), who has a sexy, ambitious wife, Carol (Arlene Dahl), rounds out the trio.