A Gentleman at Heart

A Gentleman at Heart

Year: 1942

Runtime: 66 mins

Language: English

Director: Ray McCarey

Comedy

When bookie Milton Berle unexpectedly inherits a New York City art gallery, he teams up with Cesar Romero to embark on an art‑forgery venture. Ray McCarey’s 1942 comedy also features Carole Landis, J. Carrol Naish, Steven Geray, Richard Derr, Rose Hobart, Elisha Cook Jr., Chick Chandler, Francis Pierlot and Jerome Cowan.

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Timeline & Setting – A Gentleman at Heart (1942)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Gentleman at Heart (1942). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, New York City

Set on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the gallery is the center of the film's art-dealing world. It hosts sales, auctions, and the schemes that drive the plot, from forgery to genuine masterpieces. The elegant space serves as a social hub where rivals, lovers, and schemers collide.

🗽 New York City 🖼️ Gallery 🏛️ Art Auction

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:52

Main Characters – A Gentleman at Heart (1942)

Meet the key characters of A Gentleman at Heart (1942), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lucky Cullen (Milton Berle)

A debt-ridden gambler who bumbles through the art-dealing scheme, Lucky is quick-witted but often reckless. He becomes entangled in Tony's plans while trying to appease his boss and avoid real danger. His naïve generosity toward Genius and his willingness to gamble set the plot in motion.

💼 Ambitious 🎲 Reckless

Tony Miller (Cesar Romero)

A sharp, debt-collecting art-dealer who manipulates the gallery's fortunes to settle Lucky's debt. He orchestrates auctions, forgeries, and reconciliations to protect his interests, but his final acts hint at a turn toward integrity.

💼 Ambitious 🧠 Cunning

Helen Mason (Carole Landis)

A key gallery figure who informs about the gallery's debt and becomes Tony's love interest. She navigates the tension between professional ambition and personal trust, seeking truth amid a web of deceit.

💖 Romantic 🕊️ Trustworthy

Genius (Elisha Cook Jr.)

A struggling painter nicknamed 'Genius' who supplies abstract works and returns with more pieces. His talent drives the art-market exchanges and adds a layer of irony to the forgery plot.

🎨 Creative 🧪 Deceptive

Gigi (J. Carrol Naish)

A skilled forger who collaborates with Claire Barrington to imitate paintings. His artistry blurs the line between imitation and original, fueling the gallery's high-stakes dealings.

🎨 Craftsmanship 🧭 Deceptive

Don Fernando (Steven Geray)

A government buyer who arrives with the genuine Velázquez and becomes central to the painting's ultimate fate. His presence heightens the tension between official authenticity and market manipulation.

🌎 International 🤝 Negotiator

Claire Barrington (Rose Hobart)

A gallery figure who buys art and collaborates with Gigi on forgeries. She is a savvy dealer whose actions complicate the quest for authenticity.

🖼️ Dealer 💎 Glamorous

Finchley (Jerome Cowan)

A government art buyer who enters the bidding, raising the stakes and driving the narrative toward a conclusive resolution involving the experts.

🏛️ Government 🕵️‍♂️ Cautious

Appleby (Francis Pierlot)

The gallery's art expert who initially authenticates a Rembrandt only to debunk it as a fake later, underscoring the fragile line between expertise and deception.

🧠 Expert 🧭 Skeptical

Stewart Haines (Richard Derr)

A gallery employee who is involved with Helen and returns from a buying trip with Don Fernando, adding personal and professional tension to the plot.

🕵️‍♂️ Loyal 🧩 Complicated

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:52

Major Themes – A Gentleman at Heart (1942)

Explore the central themes of A Gentleman at Heart (1942), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🖼️ Art & Authenticity

The plot centers on the tension between genuine masterpieces and convincing forgeries, showing how value is built on reputation as much as on brushwork. Paintings move the story, driving deals, lies, and high-stakes bidding. When the genuine Velázquez is revealed and the forgery is exposed, truth prevails and the characters face the consequences of deceit. The gallery's reaction to the revelation drives the moral shift toward integrity.

💰 Debt & Redemption

Debt acts as the motor for the plot, forcing Lucky and Tony into a web of art deals and double meanings. The pursuit of money blurs ethics as forgery and genuine works collide with personal loyalties. Tony's later gesture—giving the painting to the government—signals a move away from profit toward something closer to integrity. Yet the counterfeit money motif at the end reminds us that wealth can corrupt even as redemption arrives.

❤️ Romance & Trust

Helen's presence compounds both romance and professional risk, testing trust between lovers and rivals. Her observations help drive the truth about Tony's intentions and the gallery's fate. The relationship evolves through deception, reconciliation, and forgiveness at the racetrack. The final gesture of forgiveness anchors the film's emotional arc.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:52

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A Gentleman at Heart Summary

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A Gentleman at Heart Summary

A Gentleman at Heart Timeline

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A Gentleman at Heart Timeline

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