Berkeley Square

Berkeley Square

Year: 1933

Runtime: 84 mins

Language: English

Director: Frank Lloyd

RomanceFantasyRelationship comedyCharming romances and delightful chemistryShow All…

A young American man is transported back to London in the time shortly after the American Revolution and meets his ancestors.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Berkeley Square (1933)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Berkeley Square (1933). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1784; 1933

The narrative shifts between 1784, the Georgian era of social hierarchies and manners, and 1933, the interwar period with its own modern sensibilities. In 1784, life hinges on propriety, salons, and financial troubles of the Pettigrews; in 1933, the world is aware of scientific progress and personal anxieties. Peter’s diary-driven journey weaves these two eras into a single story about longing and consequence.

Location

Berkeley Square, London; New York

Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London, is the central setting where 18th-century society and refined interiors frame the drama. The story also traces Peter's departure from New York to England, anchoring the past and present in transatlantic travel. The square functions as a liminal space where time seems to bend, bringing together generations and destinies.

🏛️ London 🗺️ Historic 🕰️ Time-slip

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:12

Main Characters – Berkeley Square (1933)

Meet the key characters of Berkeley Square (1933), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Peter Standish — Leslie Howard

A modern-day man who becomes obsessed with his ancestor’s diary and the idea of time travel. He slips back to 1784 and must navigate unfamiliar customs while concealing his knowledge of the future. His curiosity and longing for Helen drive much of the plot, even as he fears the consequences of altering history. He experiences a profound dislocation between two eras and ultimately returns to 1933 wiser, but changed.

⏳ Time traveler 💘 Romantic 🧭 Conflicted

Helen Pettigrew — Heather Angel

Helen is the daughter of Lady Ann Pettigrew, torn between family pressure and her own desires. She resists the arranged match to Mr. Throstle and gradually falls for Peter, despite the era’s constraints. Her empathy for Peter deepens as she recognizes his inner conflict and the burden of his knowledge. She ultimately helps him confront the truth about their impossible romance.

💞 Romantic lead 🗺️ Era-bound 🕊️ Independent

Kate Pettigrew — Valerie Taylor

Kate is the Pettigrew daughter under pressure to marry for financial security. She initially suspects Peter’s odd behavior and becomes convinced he is possessed when faced with his 18th‑century indiscretions. Her alliance with Helen weakens as Peter’s presence unsettles the household, and she ultimately breaks their engagement. Her actions reflect the era’s anxieties about fortune and status.

💍 Marriage pressure 🧿 Superstitious 🗳️ Social expectations

Tom Pettigrew — Colin Keith-Johnston

Tom is Helen’s brother, part of the financially strained Pettigrew family. He embodies practical, family-focused concerns and helps keep the household afloat. While less central to the romance, his presence reinforces the social pressures surrounding marriage, money, and lineage. He serves as a grounding counterpoint to the more fantastical time-travel elements.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family 🧭 Practical 🏛️ Social context

Lady Ann Pettigrew — Irene Browne

A mother who presses for Kate’s advantageous marriage to a wealthy American. She embodies the social ambition of the era, balancing concern for her daughter’s happiness with the family’s financial survival. Her outlook highlights the pressure to secure status and security through arranged alliances. She is wary of anything that might threaten the social order she upholds.

👩🏻‍⚖️Matriarch 💼 Social class 🧭 Duty

Mr. Throstle — Ferdinand Gottschalk

A wealthy suitor pressed by Lady Ann to secure a match for Kate. He represents the practical, money-driven side of 18th‑century courtship and the pressures of maintaining status. While not deeply developed, his presence emphasizes the transactional nature of marriage for some families of the era.

💼 Wealth 🕰️ Arranged marriage 🏛️ Social norms

Marjorie Frant — Betty Lawford

Peter’s fiancée in 1933, she worries about his sanity due to his fixation on time travel. She functions as a stabilizing presence in the modern timeline, representing contemporary concerns about romance, trust, and rationality. Her concern foregrounds the tension between love and the possibility of losing someone to a fantastical fate.

💑 Fiancée 🧭 Concern 🕰️ Modern realism

The American Ambassador — Samuel S. Hinds

A diplomat the characters meet during tea, symbolizing the modern world and the outside observer’s perspective on the time-slip. He provides a conversational link between eras and helps frame the story’s broader implications about history and destiny.

🌐 Diplomat 🗣️ Observer 🕊️ Inter-era bridge

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:12

Major Themes – Berkeley Square (1933)

Explore the central themes of Berkeley Square (1933), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕰️ Time Travel

The plot hinges on moving between 1784 and 1933, with Peter using an ancestor’s diary as a cue to slip through time. The mechanism creates both wonder and danger as familiar faces appear in unfamiliar contexts. The tension comes from trying to observe the past without altering it, while being drawn into its events. The time slips illuminate how memory and fate influence present choices.

💘 Love Across Time

Peter’s growing affection for Helen crosses centuries, challenging both their desires and social norms. Helen’s independence and reluctance to marry the suitor Mr. Throstle contrast with 18th‑century pressures. The romance tests loyalty to one’s era versus the pull of a destined counterpart. Their connection persists despite the looming consequences of time travel.

🪞 Reality and Illusion

Peter’s visions of the modern world clash with the harsher realities of 18th‑century life. The notion of being demonically possessed by possessing knowledge adds a layer of doubt among those around him. The diary’s supposed accuracy is weighed against Peter’s unsteady sense of self. Helen’s belief in him deepens as she glimpses fragments of both futures and pasts.

🏛️ Society and Duty

The Pettigrews’ financial worries and social expectations drive the plot, pushing Kate toward a strategic match with wealth. Peter’s intrusion exposes class norms and the dangers of meddling with established order. The story questions whether personal happiness can override inherited duties. Marriages and alliances are depicted as instruments of survival as much as romance.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:12

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Unlock the Full Story of Berkeley Square

Don't stop at just watching — explore Berkeley Square in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Berkeley Square is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Berkeley Square Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Berkeley Square, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Berkeley Square Summary

Berkeley Square Timeline

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Berkeley Square Timeline

More About Berkeley Square

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