Henry St James (Alec Guinness), captain of a ferry steamer ploughing between Gibraltar and Kalik in North Africa, believes he has discovered the secret of an earthly paradise, a paradise founded on the love of two very different women. In Gibraltar he has a placid, home-loving wife who caters for all the domestic tendencies in his character. In Kalik his wild, romantic desires find fulfillment in the exotic charms of Nita. But he has overlooked the possibility that women can also be creatures of mood and contrast, and that a heaven on earth can become a fool's paradise. Nominated for Best Screenplay at the **Academy Awards.** Nominated for Best British Actress (Celia Johnson ) at the **BAFTA Awards.**