JeanArthurstarsasCongresswomanPhoebeFrostinWilder'ssatireofAmericansexualmores.Shearrivesinbombed-outpostwarBerlinin1947aspartofacongressionaldelegationassignedtoinvestigatethemoralbehavioroftheAmericanoccupyingtroops.Aspartofhermission,shedeliversacakebakedbyhisfianceetoCapt.JohnPringle(JohnLund),whoimmediatelytradesitontheblackmarketforamattress,whichhetakestotheapartmentofhiscurrentgirlfriend,ErikavonSchluetow(MarleneDietrich),analluringGermannightclubsinger.Whiletouringthecity,researchingtheG.I.sappetiteforblondGermanwomenandalcohol,Phoebe,mistakenforaGerman,ispickedupbysomeofthesoldiersandtakentoaclubwhichfeaturesthesingingofErika.Whensheseesafamiliarcakebeingserved,shebecomessuspiciousandordersJohntowatchthewoman'sapartmenttoidentifyherAmericanlover.AfterseeingsomenewsreelfootageofErikawithHitler,PhoebeasksJohntoshowherthewoman'sfile,buthedistractsherfromfurtherinvestigationbycomingontothecongresswoman,whorespondswithsurprisingpassion.Acomedyedgedwithcruelty,itfeaturesoneofDietrich'squintessentialperformances.Oh, John. I'm so happy. I'm in heaven. Not that I wasn't happy before... I was just drifting. That's it, drifting. Drifting on a grey sea all alone. It's not bad, but suddenly you get scared, you need another voice. So you hoist up your heart and wait. And nobody passes by, just grey waves. Your heart gets frayed and some, lashed by the night winds and rain, so you haul it down, what's left of it, and you resign yourself. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, comes a boat, so unexpected; all white sails on the horizon. To you, my beautiful boat.