In the 1950s, Vince Collins (
Colin Firth) and Lanny Morris (
Kevin Bacon) are the hottest showbiz duo in America. The combination of Lanny's brash American style and Vince's biting British wit is irresistible, especially to beautiful women. The pair is a particular favorite of Sally San Marco (
Maury Chaykin), a mob boss who owns nightclubs up and down the east coast. He makes sure “his boys” have anything they want.
The “anyone they want” is handled by Lanny's inscrutable man-servant, Reuben (David Hayman). When a beautiful young woman, Maureen (Rachel Blanchard) is found dead in the bathtub of the duo's suite, their glittery world begins to crumble. They have rock solid alibis and are exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing; however, the scandal causes the once inseparable pair to part company.
Fifteen years later, the myth of the Collins and Morris controversy still fascinates the public. Karen O'Connor (Alison Lohman), a young and ambitious journalist, is determined to uncover the secrets of the two men who, coincidentally, touched her life when she was a child. She persuades a publisher to offer a guarded Vince Collins one million dollars to collaborate with her on writing the untold story of his life with Lanny Morris. There is one condition: the truth must be told about the scandal that destroyed the duo. What really happened the night Maureen died?
Based on the novel by Rupert Holmes.