After attempting to donate $200 million to the Internal Revenue Service, Louisa (Shirley MacLaine) finds herself in the care of a psychiatrist, Dr. Stephanson (Bob Cummings). She relates the improbable story behind her strange gift. It includes a pair of penniless husbands (Dick Van Dyke, Paul Newman), who build large fortunes before suffering early -- and unusual -- deaths. To break the curse, Louisa weds a millionaire (Robert Mitchum), then a clown (Gene Kelly), without much improvement.