Mr. Skitch (1933) Plot Summary Explained

Emily pretends to be wealthy because she is ashamed of her family's sudden poverty. After losing their home to foreclosure during the Great Depression, the Skitch family is traveling west with little money. When Harvey Denby saves her from drowning, she conceals their true financial situation out of embarrassment and maintains the pretense as the journey continues.

Foreshadowing: This deception creates the foundation for the complicated romantic tension between Emily and Harvey throughout the film.

• emily skitch
• harvey denby
• poverty
• ashamed
• deception

Harvey Denby becomes smitten with Emily after saving her at Yellowstone. Despite coming from a wealthy family and preparing to enter West Point, he chooses to shadow the Skitch family from one auto camp to another because of his attraction to Emily. His pursuit turns the road trip into a central romantic thread.

Foreshadowing: This romantic pursuit eventually leads to marriage and the film's happy ending.

• harvey denby
• emily skitch
• romance
• pursuit
• west point

Ira wins $3,000 by latching onto the coattails of a friendly high-roller named Cliff Merriweather at a legal casino near Lake Tahoe. Confident his luck would hold, he returns the next night and loses everything, demonstrating how quickly fortune can change during the journey.

Foreshadowing: The windfall and subsequent loss illustrate the film's theme about the unpredictability of life during the Depression.

• lake tahoe
• casino
• 3000 dollars
• cliff merriweather
• gambling

Harvey Denby uses his family wealth to build a luxury auto camp in Flat River and makes Ira the manager. To maintain the deception about where the money came from, he tells Ira that Cohen provided the funds. This lie keeps Emily's false pretenses intact and allows Denby to help the family without exposing his true identity or motives.

Foreshadowing: The deception sets up the final reconciliation where Ira knows the truth but accepts it due to his new family dynamic.

• auto camp
• flat river
• sam cohen
• deception
• harvey denby funding

Ira eventually realizes the wealth behind the auto camp isn't from Cohen but from Harvey's own family. However, he chooses not to confront Harvey because by then, Harvey has become his son-in-law through marriage to Emily. Ira tables his objections and accepts the situation, prioritizing family harmony over the truth.

Foreshadowing: Ira's resignation reflects the film's theme of adaptation and acceptance amid hardship.

• ira skitch
• confrontation
• deception
• son-in-law
• family loyalty

Maddie Skitch is startled when two bears invade their campsite and devour their lunch. The bears later turn out to be tame mascots, but Maddie remains unconvinced about wildlife safety on the road. This comedic incident underscores the unexpected dangers and misadventures the family faces during their journey.

• bears
• campsite
• maddie skitch
• safety
• comedy incident

The Skitch family leaves Flat River, Missouri because the bank has foreclosed on their home due to the Great Depression. Ira receives only a small settlement, and with few options remaining, he decides to load his wife, adult daughter Emily, three younger children, and six dogs into their beat-up family car to head west toward Los Angeles in search of a fresh start.

Foreshadowing: Their departure sets the entire journey in motion and establishes the film's Depression-era context.

• foreclosure
• flat river
• missouri
• great depression
• journey to california

Sam Cohen is a Yiddish ex-New Yorker who had been ordered to retire for his health and now travels the United States in a luxury motor home. Ira befriends him during the journey, and Cohen's wealth and lifestyle serve as a counterpoint to Ira's financial struggles. Harvey later uses Cohen's name as cover for funding the auto camp, though Cohen himself doesn't provide the money.

Foreshadowing: Cohen's name becomes part of Harvey's deception, though he remains an innocent companion on the road.

• sam cohen
• luxury motor home
• new york
• companion
• friendship

Emily's relationship with Harvey Denby deepens throughout the journey despite her initial deception about wealth. The two eventually marry, making Harvey Ira's son-in-law. This marriage solidifies Harvey's position in the family and resolves the romantic storyline with a happy ending.

• emily skitch
• harvey denby
• marriage
• happy ending
• resolution

After Harvey Denby builds the luxury auto camp in Flat River, he appoints Ira Skitch as its manager. Although Ira discovers the money came from Harvey rather than Cohen, he accepts the position and the arrangement. The auto camp represents the family's new beginning and a resolution to their financial struggles, combining perseverance with a hard-earned acceptance of their changed circumstances.

• auto camp
• flat river
• manager
• business
• new beginning