Lady of the Tropics

New York playboy Bill Carey is sailing the seas of the Orient with and courtesy of his girlfriend, heiress Dolly Harrison, and her family. They have just arrived at their latest stop, Saigon, in French Indochina, where they expect to see who they consider vicious barefoot natives as they have in their other stops, such as Manila. Who they also see in Saigon are many half-castes, primarily fathered by a Frenchman and mothered by a native woman. Such half-castes lead a difficult life in not being accepted by the white population as their equals, most who are refused passports in the French government not wanting them flooding the streets of Paris where many would like to live instead to have a chance at a better life. They meet beautiful Manon DeVargnes, one such half-caste, the companion of wealthy, powerful and evil Pierre Delaroch, a half-caste himself who owns the Saigon Rubber Company. Bill eventually falls in love with Mademoiselle DeVargnes, who he wants to marry and bring back to the US with him. Beyond the difficulties in being a half-caste, Manon leads a complex life into which Bill enters, which not only places obstacles in marrying her but which will make such a married life not quite what Bill would be expecting. The questions then become how long the two of them can endure these stresses placed on their relationship and/or how far each will go to achieve their desired end goal of a happy life in the west. Factoring into what happens is M. Delaroch, who is in love with Manon himself and can use his power and influence to get his way.