Daisy Kenyon (Joan Crawford), a commercial artist in Manhattan, must decide between two suitors: Dan O'Mara (Dana Andrews), a dashing, handsome lawyer who is already married, and Peter Lapham (Henry Fonda), a "nice guy" writer who is single. Though her passion for Dan is strong, she decides to marry Peter because it's the "right thing" to do. However, shortly after her marriage, Dan gets a divorce... and sets about wooing Daisy. As the fighting between the two men escalates, Daisy finds herself in a heated love triangle with the faithful Peter and the philandering Dan.