Bought!

Bought!

Year: 1931

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Archie Mayo

DramaRomance

Working-class girl dreams of living a better life and forsakes her friends when she has a chance to break into high society.

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Timeline & Setting – Bought! (1931)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Bought! (1931). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Modiste shop, Upscale apartment building, Socialite parties

The film unfolds in an urban setting centered on fashion, money, and social gatherings. It follows Stephanie from a modest upbringing into the glamorous world of wealth, parties, and celebrity circles. The action shifts between a fashionable modiste shop, a stylish apartment building, and a string of exclusive parties where appearances dictate status.

🏙️ Urban 💎 Wealth 🎭 High Society

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:49

Main Characters – Bought! (1931)

Meet the key characters of Bought! (1931), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Stephanie Dale (Constance Bennett)

A beautiful, ambitious young woman who resents her working-class upbringing and uses romance and social climbing to secure a luxurious lifestyle. Her longing for wealth leads her to manipulate relationships and craft a glamorous but shallow persona. As secrets accumulate, she confronts the emptiness of a life built on appearances and the consequences of fabricating a past. By the end, she faces the reality of love beyond money and social approval.

💎 Wealth 🎭 Facade 💔 Heartbreak

David Meyer (Richard Bennett)

A wealthy patron who notices Stephanie and becomes a dominant influence in her social ascent. He hides the fact that he is her father, using his wealth to facilitate her presence in elite circles. Beneath his controlled exterior lies a protective, yet calculating, desire to shape his daughter's life while keeping the truth at bay. His later actions help secure Stephanie’s marriage, tying family secrets to family fortunes.

💼 Wealth 🕵️‍♂️ Secret 🎓 Patronage

Nick Amory (Ben Lyon)

Stephanie’s neighbor and romantic interest who rises with her in the social ladder. He feels jealous when others vie for her attention and experiences pride and vulnerability as the relationship evolves. His courtship is marked by steadfast emotion and a desire for genuine affection rather than societal advantage. He ultimately offers love and partnership, despite the complications around Stephanie’s past.

💘 Love 🧭 Neighborhood 💪 Jealousy

Charles Carter Jr. (Ray Milland)

A wealthy, eligible bachelor who falls for Stephanie and proposes, drawn by her charm. His quick rise in romance is cut short when he uncovers the truth about Stephanie’s fabrication and her parents’ past. The revelation tests his tolerance for deception and his commitment to a relationship built on honesty. He represents the conflict between true affection and social ambition.

💌 Romance 👔 Elite 💔 Heartbreak

The Mother (Dorothy Peterson)

Stephanie’s mother, raised in poverty and never married, whose absence and passings drive Stephanie’s resentment of working-class roots. Her death catalyzes Stephanie’s move to the life of luxury she craves. She serves as the emotional foil to Stephanie’s ambition, embodying the pressures and compromises of a class-bound life. Her memory also shapes the lie that Stephanie constructs about her past.

👩‍👧 Family 💔 Poverty 🎭 Social Class

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:49

Major Themes – Bought! (1931)

Explore the central themes of Bought! (1931), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💎 Wealth & Status

Wealth functions as both lure and weapon, shaping choices and social expectations. Stephanie’s ascent into luxury exposes how money buys access to people and opportunities. The narrative probes the hollowness and performative nature of high-society life, where appearances often mask true motives. The film suggests that status can corrupt honesty and personal happiness.

🪞 Identity & Lies

Stephanie constructs a fictitious backstory to fit a social world that demands pedigree. David’s quiet revelation about paternity adds a deeper layer of truth beneath the veneers of wealth. Deception strains relationships, forcing characters to confront who they really are versus who they pretend to be. The story ultimately tests the cost of living a borrowed identity.

💞 Love & Consequences

Romantic entanglements drive the plot, with Stephanie torn between social expectation, desire, and genuine feeling. Jealousy and heartbreak ripple through her relationships with Nick and Charles, exposing the fragility of relationships built on status. The film tracks reconciliation and arrival at choices that acknowledge true affection over social games. In the end, love must contend with truth and consequences.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:49

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Bought! Summary

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Bought! Summary

Bought! Timeline

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Bought! Timeline

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