The Flirting Widow

The Flirting Widow is a 1930 American PreCode comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and produced and released by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. The film stars Dorothy Mackaill, Basil Rathbone, Leila Hyams and Claude Gillingwater.

William Faraday refuses to let his youngest daughter, Evelyn, get married before her older sister, Celia, finds a husband. Faraday is afraid that people will call Celia an old maid. Celia, who has no interest in getting married, attempts to fool her father by pretending to be engaged. After a short vacation away from home she makes the announcement to her family and informs everyone that he has gone to Arabia but that they will be married upon his return to England. When her father receives this news, he finally consents to Evelyns marriage. At Evelyns insistence, Celia writes a love letter to her fianc.After finishing her letter, Celia attempts to throw it away when no one is looking. A servant, however, finding the letter, posts it. The letter is received by a real Colonel Smith, who happens to actually be in Arabia. He is amused by the love letter. After Evelyns marriage, Celia publishes an obituary in the paper for her Colonel Smith. The real Smith reads the obituary and decides to pay a visit to Celia, pretending to be a close friend of the deceased Colonel Smith, pretending to bring some mementos. When he gives them to Celia, she is uncomfortable. Eventually, Smith reveals his identity and in the course of time he and Celia fall in love. ........

Source: Wikipedia