My Brother Jonathan

My Brother Jonathan

Year: 1948

Runtime: 108 mins

Language: English

Director: Harold French

Drama

Jonathan Dakers dreams of becoming a surgeon and marrying Edie Martyn, but his father's death forces him to join a struggling Black Country general practice as a partner. While Edie falls for Jonathan's brother Harold, Harold is killed in the Great War and Jonathan proceeds with the marriage. Afterward, Jonathan discovers that his heart belongs to someone else.

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Timeline – My Brother Jonathan (1948)

Trace every key event in My Brother Jonathan (1948) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

1900: Private school and cricket

In 1900, Jonathan and his brother join a new private school in their town and settle into school life. They immediately join a local cricket match where Edith (Edie) keeps the score, a detail that foreshadows the personal ties that will shape his future. This early moment grounds his life in community and sport.

1900 Hometown private school
2

Father's death and inheritance

Jonathan's father dies in a car accident, leaving the family finances in ruin. It is revealed that Jonathan's inheritance had been misspent, threatening his ability to continue medical training. Despite the setback, Jonathan vows to finish his degree at Cambridge.

early 1900s Home town
3

Entry into Dr Hammond's practice in Wednesford

With precarious funds, Jonathan buys a share in Dr Hammond's general practice in Wednesford, a poor foundry town in the north. He begins to build his medical career amid limited resources and institutional obstacles. The move anchors his early professional life before the war interrupts plans.

early 1900s Wednesford
4

Edie in Monte Carlo; long-distance correspondence

Edie winters in Monte Carlo on the French Riviera, and Jonathan maintains a long-distance connection through letters. Their correspondence keeps the memory of Edie alive as he navigates professional duties in a tough industrial town. The distance underscores the choices looming ahead.

early 1900s Monte Carlo
5

Harold's confession and New Year's Eve 1913/14

Harold tells Jonathan that he loves Edie and intends to marry her, creating a complicated triangle of loyalties. They celebrate together on New Year's Eve 1913/14, a moment that signals shifting relationships in the town. The news indicates personal and social tensions that will echo into the war years.

New Year's Eve 1913/14 Wednesford
6

Jonathan moves from Edie to Rachel

After the NYE celebration, Jonathan shifts his affections from Edie to Rachel, his assistant. The change strains past loyalties while he remains bound by social expectations. This new balance sets the stage for future personal upheavals in the war era.

early 1914 Wednesford
7

Harold enlists and dies during World War I

Harold joins the First World War and is killed in service, leaving Edie pregnant but unmarried. The tragedy shocks the town and pressures Jonathan to respond to the family needs. The loss accelerates the unraveling and reconfiguration of relationships around Edie.

1914-1915 World War I front
8

Jonathan marries Edie to preserve respectability

In the wake of Harold's death, Jonathan returns to Edie and marries her to preserve respectability and provide stability for Edie and the unborn child. The marriage ties him to a path he did not anticipate but that aligns with social expectations. It anchors him to Edie's future and the town's moral codes.

1914-1915 Wednesford
9

Foundry concerns and the mislaid report

Dakers raises concerns about industrial injuries at the foundry, clashing with owner Sir Joseph Higgins and Dr. Craig, who runs a competing medical practice. He writes a critical report on working conditions and housing, but Dr. Craig secretly misfiles it. The disappearance of the report underscores entrenched town corruption.

early to mid 1910s Wednesford foundry area
10

A life-saving act and the medical tribunal

Dakers performs a life-saving tracheotomy on a child with diphtheria and brings the patient to the cottage hospital. He is charged with misconduct for acting without hospital permission and for not reporting the case, triggering a medical tribunal. Jonathan defends his actions as necessary to save a life and to meet urgent community needs.

mid 1910s Local cottage hospital
11

Hospital reform and a dramatic fire

Public support helps push through reforms, and corrupt officials resign from their posts. As reform takes hold, a siren sounds and a large fire erupts at a foundry. Craig is injured, and Jonathan operates to save his life, demonstrating the vital role of decisive medical intervention during crisis.

mid 1910s Wednesford town and foundry
12

Edie's son is born; Edie dies; final wishes

Hammond attends the birth of Edie's son, but she dies soon after, offering Jonathan one last wish that he find happiness with Rachel. Her death closes a chapter in the town's story and redefines Jonathan's personal life. The community carries forward with Edie's memory guiding future choices.

late 1910s Edie's home/hospital
13

1939: A new era begins

The story jumps ahead to 1939. Jonathan is married to Rachel, and Edie's son stands in army uniform, a visible reminder of the past's long shadow. The town has weathered war and change, leaving a new generation to carry on the legacy of those earlier events.

1939 1939; unspecified town

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:34

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My Brother Jonathan Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in My Brother Jonathan

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