Penthouse (1933) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Jack agrees to defend Tom because Sue Leonard, his ex-fiancée, begs him to take the case. Although Jack receives an anonymous phone call warning him to stay out of it, his feelings for Sue compel him to help. This decision sets in motion the entire investigation that leads Jack deeper into Crelliman's criminal underworld.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jack had already shown his willingness to defend criminals by taking Tony's case for free, establishing his pattern of choosing personal loyalty over professional reputation.

• jack defend tom
• threats
• sue request
• anonymous call

Mimi Montagne arranges for Tom to meet her at a wild party hosted by her former lover, gangster Jim Crelliman. After they talk on the balcony, a shot rings out and Mimi is found dead with Tom holding a revolver. The pawnbroker Levi Levitoff tells police he sold Tom the gun that same day, creating apparent evidence of premeditation. However, the real killer was positioned in the apartment above Gertie's, using the elevated angle to fire the shot.

Foreshadowing: The setup was orchestrated by Crelliman and Mimi, who deliberately arranged the meeting to place Tom at the scene with a weapon.

• tom siddall frame
• mimi murder
• pawnbroker
• gun evidence

Jack deduces that the killer fired from a higher position after examining Mimi's wound entry and exit points. He discovers that the apartment above Gertie's belongs to Murtoch, one of Crelliman's gunmen. From Murtoch's window, the angle perfectly aligns with where Mimi stood on the balcony, proving the shooting was an execution ordered by Crelliman rather than a crime of passion committed by Tom.

Foreshadowing: The pawnbroker's testimony about selling Tom the gun was meant to divert attention from the actual shooter.

• murder angle
• entry wound
• exit wound
• murtoch apartment
• higher position

Crelliman offers Jack $200,000 to take a long vacation because Jack is getting too close to uncovering the truth behind Mimi's murder. Jack's investigation has already connected the dots between the crime scene layout and Murtoch's apartment, threatening to expose Crelliman as the actual orchestrator of the killing. The bribe is an attempt to remove Jack from the case before he gathers enough evidence to implicate the gangster.

Foreshadowing: Crelliman's willingness to pay such a large sum reveals how much he has at stake in keeping the murder secret.

• crelliman bribe
• 200000
• jack investigation
• murder coverup

Sue breaks off her engagement with Jack for two reasons. First, she is upset that Jack chose to defend racketeer Tony, which his conservative law firm frowns upon and which sullies his professional reputation. Second, when she visits Jack's apartment the next morning and sees Gertie Waxted wearing his robe, she assumes they had an affair and leaves in anger. Even though Gertie tells her Jack is still in love with Sue, the damage is done, and Sue eventually marries Tom Siddall instead.

Foreshadowing: Jack's decision to defend criminals sets him on a path that inevitably changes his relationship with his upper-class world.

• sue breaks engagement
• jack defend racketeer
• gertie robe
• misunderstanding

Gertie volunteers to lure Crelliman onto the roof of the neighboring building as part of Jack's plan to frame him for murder. While Jack and the police set a trap for Crelliman's gunmen, Gertie entices Crelliman to the rooftop, positioning him for the final confrontation. Her bravery is essential to getting Crelliman out in the open where the police can arrest him.

Foreshadowing: Gertie had previously been close to Crelliman as his former lover, giving her the access needed to draw him into the trap.

• gertie trap crelliman
• rooftop
• lure gangster
• police plan

Tony dies from a gunshot wound sustained during the final shootout at Crelliman's hideout. While Jack and the police storm the building, Tony saves Gertie from danger but is shot in the process. He dies in the next room, making his sacrifice a bittersweet element of the victory. His death adds tragic weight to the otherwise successful conclusion.

Foreshadowing: Tony's earlier assistance to Jack in investigating Crelliman made him a target for the gang.

• tony dies
• gunshot wound
• final shootout
• sacrifice

Jack proposes to Gertie because he genuinely falls in love with her during the course of the investigation. Despite her past association with criminals and her former connection to Crelliman, Jack sees her courage and loyalty. In the end, he tells her he wants to marry her and take her to Europe, demonstrating that his affection transcends her questionable background.

Foreshadowing: Their relationship develops gradually from professional cooperation to romantic love as they work together against Crelliman.

• jack propose gertie
• marry
• love
• europe trip

Levitoff is murdered because he is the key witness who can verify that someone purchased the murder weapon. After Jack questions him about the gun sale, Crelliman's men eliminate Levitoff to prevent him from revealing who actually bought the revolver. His death removes a crucial piece of evidence that could have helped prove Tom's innocence earlier in the investigation.

Foreshadowing: Levitoff's testimony was the primary circumstantial evidence linking Tom to the crime.

• levitoff murdered
• pawnbroker killed
• witness elimination
• gun sale

Jack discovers that the apartment above Gertie's belongs to Murtoch, one of Crelliman's gunmen. This discovery is crucial because it reveals the elevated position from which the fatal shot was fired. By examining the layout and angle from Murtoch's window to the balcony where Mimi was killed, Jack realizes the shooting was an organized hit rather than a spontaneous act.

Foreshadowing: The building's vertical arrangement becomes the key to solving the murder mystery.

• murtoch apartment
• elevated position
• shooting angle
• crelliman gunman