Calm Yourself (1935) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie is set in New York City at the turn of the century. The urban environment of busy offices, trains, and bustling streets serves as the backdrop for the farce, with the city's fast pace and social hustle amplifying the comedic schemes Patton hatches.

• new york city
• setting
• urban
• locations

The story is set in 1908, the early 20th century. This era features early advertising schemes, formal attire, and a social climate ripe for comedic manipulation, blending emerging modern business with classic stage farce.

• 1908
• time period
• era
• early 1900s
• historical setting

Deception is central to the plot, with Preston Patton using disguises, misdirection, and role-swapping that snowball into a web of misunderstandings. The comedy critiques how easy it is to manipulate others through clever deceit in a bustling city environment.

• deception
• disguises
• misdirection
• mistaken identities
• plot device

Preston 'Pat' Patton is a fired advertising executive who launches Confidential Services Incorporated, a one-person firm dedicated to resolving clients' unusual problems. He thrives on improvisation, using misdirection and impersonations to keep clients calm while pursuing a romantic outcome.

• preston patton
• pat
• main character
• confidential services

Rosalind Rockwell is the daughter of Kenneth S. Rockwell who arrives in New York and gets swept up in Patton's elaborate plans. She is pragmatic and curious, gradually drawn to Patton despite his schemes, providing emotional balance to the film's farcical chaos.

• rosalind rockwell
• love interest
• romantic lead
• character role

The film parodies early entrepreneurial culture through Patton's one-person service empire that claims to 'calm' clients. His marketing ingenuity, rather than traditional problem-solving, drives the narrative, offering a playful look at how unconventional business ideas can take off in a crowded urban landscape.

• entrepreneurship
• business
• advertising
• confidential services
• startup

Calm Yourself is a Romance Comedy produced by MGM's Laugh Riot division. The film blends romantic storytelling with screwball farce, using misdirection and elaborate schemes to lampoon the quirks of early 20th century business world.

• comedy
• romance
• farce
• screwball
• genre
• mgm

Col. Allenby is a stern, irascible authority figure who clashes with Patton, triggering much of the conflict. His daughter Mary Elizabeth Allenby is a jealous woman who becomes entangled in the social dynamics surrounding Patton, adding romantic tension to the farce.

• colonel allenby
• mary elizabeth allenby
• antagonist
• authority figure

A romance blossoms between Patton and Rosalind amid the chaos of his elaborate schemes. Their attraction survives the lies and social tensions, gradually resolving in a hopeful embrace as the farce unfolds, providing a human center to the high-energy comedic antics.

• romance
• relationship
• pat and rosalind
• love story
• romantic arc

Confidential Services Incorporated is the fictional one-person firm founded by Preston Patton after being fired from an advertising job. The company claims to resolve clients' most unusual and problematic situations with comedic, off-beat solutions, serving as the vehicle for the film's farcical plot.

• confidential services
• agency
• business
• plot device
• service company