Professor Humbert Humbert (James Mason) seeks a relaxing summer in the resort town of Ramsdale, New Hampshire, where he finds a room to rent in the house of a shrill, middle-aged widow, Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). He is immediately infatuated with her daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). Charlotte falls for Humbert, and he marries her to stay close to Lolita. When his new wife finds his diary containing his confession of love for Lolita, she commits suicide. Humbert pulls Lolita out of summer camp under the guise that her mother is sick and they need to return home. A long and somewhat tense road trip follows, where Humbert eventually seduces her and reveals the truth about her mother. Lolita, who had been enjoying his attention until this point, realizes the grave nature of her situation, and is forced to remain his concubine -- that is until a mysterious stranger pokes his nose in the affair, threatening to expose their illegal relationship to the world.