Born Yesterday

Businessman Harry Brock (John Goodman) takes his girlfriend Billie Dawn (Melanie Griffith) to elite parties with politicians. Billie's background as a showgirl makes her uncultured, and she innocently makes socially inept remarks on political issues. Harry thinks she can be taught, so he hires a reporter Paul Verrall (Don Johnson) to show her the ropes. While educating Billie, Paul kisses her, but Harry doesn't suspect anything. Paul teaches Billie a few sentences to make her appear intelligent, and she impresses people at a party. Harry congratulates Paul for Billie's improvement, but Billie feels like a ventriloquist dummy. Paul slowly falls in love with Billie. Harry routinely asks Billie to sign some papers, creating companies in her name, which she is unaware of. After studying with Paul, Billie starts to read the documents Harry offers her to sign. This makes Harry angry and he slaps her, but she signs them anyway. Harry also shouts at a senator, incurring the disapproval of Billie. Billie goes to Paul, thinking she may have signed illegal documents. She helps Paul break into Harry's safe and steal the documents. Paul skims through the papers and learns that all the companies are in Billie's name. He also finds evidence of Harry illegally bribing senators. Meanwhile, Harry is shopping for a wedding ring, and comes to the hotel room with flowers, and proposes to Billie, but she rejects his proposal. Harry then goes to look at the documents in his safe, but finds them missing. Billie reveals that Paul took the documents to publish in his paper. Paul arrives and kisses Billie, who declares that she wants to marry Paul. She tells Harry that she will return his companies back to him at the rate of one a year. She also urges him to get back the bribe money from the senators and wind up his illegal business activities.