Michael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa, where they face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs.
When Sir Reginald Belsize's uncle dies he leaves him a fortune on condition that he give up his current unsuitable lover Helen and marry someone else within twenty four hours. Helen agrees to this so long as the woman he picks is less attractive than she is. The woman he picks is however beautiful and cultured and he quickly falls in love with her.