So This Is New York

So This Is New York

Year: 1948

Runtime: 79 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Fleischer

Comedy

The film follows a small‑town man who suddenly inherits a sizable fortune and whisks his family to New York City. As they navigate the dazzling Broadway scene, they experience both the excitement and heart‑break of big‑city life, constantly stunned by the alien culture of the Big Apple.

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Timeline & Setting – So This Is New York (1948)

Explore the full timeline and setting of So This Is New York (1948). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1910s to early 1920s

The narrative unfolds in the immediate post-World War I era, a time of shifting social mores and urban opportunity in the United States. Wealth, quick bets, and show-business glamour define the period's mood and temptations. The setting reflects a transition from provincial life to the fast-paced, risk-filled world of New York.

Location

South Bend, Indiana; New York City, New York

The story begins in South Bend, Indiana, a Midwestern backdrop where Ella feels trapped by provincial life. It then shifts to New York City, a glamorous hub of wealth and social climbing that shapes the sisters’ ambitions. Later, the action touches a seedy theatrical hotel in the city, highlighting the contrast between dreams and reality. The film ends with a return to South Bend, carrying the lessons learned in the big city.

🌆 Urban 🗽 City life 🧭 Cross-country move

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

Main Characters – So This Is New York (1948)

Meet the key characters of So This Is New York (1948), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ella Finch (Virginia Grey)

Ella is restless with provincial life in South Bend and convinced she can secure a rich husband in New York. She is quick-witted, driven, and unapologetic in pursuing a glamorous lifestyle, even when it stirs conflict with her sister. Her optimism often blinds her to risk, but the ordeals in the city eventually temper her ambitions.

💼 Social climber 🗽 NYC dreamer 💬 Optimist

Kate Goff (Dona Drake)

Kate is more pragmatic and wary of schemes, yet she sides with Ella in chasing wealth in the Big Apple. She pursues relationships with powerful men as a means to security, balancing ambition with a wary eye on consequences. Her choices drive much of the plot’s tension as they navigate high-society temptations.

💎 Wealth seeker 🗽 NYC admirer 🎯 Ambitious

Ernie Finch (Henry Morgan)

Ernie is a wisecracking cigar salesman whose loyalty to his wife and sisters is tested by the trio’s schemes. He reluctantly joins the journey east and unexpectedly profits from a racing bet, only to face firing when the truth unauthorized by his employer surfaces. Despite his humor, he remains a practical voice amid the city’s chaos.

😂 Witty 🧭 Grounded 💵 Pragmatic

Sid Mercer (Leo Gorcey)

Sid is a jockey with a quick wit and quicker temper, whose revenge-seeking mind drives him to manipulate a race outcome. He alternates between romance and scheming, shaping the Way the plot unfolds in New York. Sid’s plans ultimately collide with reality, highlighting the peril of treachery.

🐎 Jockey 🕵️ Schemer 🎯 Calculating

Herbert Daley (Rudy Vallee)

Daley is a Southern gentleman and racehorse owner who becomes entangled with Kate. He enjoys a veneer of wealth and control, but his confluence with Sid’s plot leads him into danger as his fortune hinges on luck and manipulation. His pursuit of status underscores the risks of wealth without scruple.

🌿 Southern gentleman 🏇 Racing 💰 Wealthy

Jimmy Ralston (Bill Goodwin)

Jimmy is a Ziegfeld Follies star with artistic ambitions, dreaming of writing and starring in a serious play. He becomes the vehicle through which the sisters invest the remainder of their money, catalyzing the film’s dramatic pivot between failure and renewal. His ambition highlights the tension between art and the city’s cash-driven world.

🎭 Entertainer 💡 Ambitious 📝 Creator

Francis Griffin (Jerome Cowan)

Francis Griffin appears as a stockbroker figure, embodying the era’s urban greed. He represents the dangerous temptation of unscrupulous financial schemes that the Finches encounter in New York. Griffin’s presence underscores the film’s critique of the wealth-driven city.

💼 Greedy 🧭 City insider 🕵️ Manipulative

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

Major Themes – So This Is New York (1948)

Explore the central themes of So This Is New York (1948), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💼 Wealth and Social Mobility

Ella and Kate use inheritance as a gateway to social ascent, chasing the security and prestige of wealthy husbands. New York offers dazzling circles, luxury apartments, and the promise of status that draws them in. The pursuit of wealth exposes motives, tests loyalties, and reshapes their sense of self. In the end, the experience leaves them wiser about what true security really means.

🎲 Risk and Deception

The plot centers on gambits and the lure of quick fortune, from race fixing to stockbroker schemes. Sid Mercer toys with fate, planning a longshot win to outsmart his employer and rivals. The Finches’ fortunes wax and wane with every bet and decision, underscoring how appearances can mislead. The unraveling of schemes delivers hard lessons about honesty and consequence.

🎭 Theatrical Ambition

The world of entertainment becomes a stage for ambition, as Jimmy Ralston dreams of writing and producing serious drama beyond vaudeville. Kate and Ella invest in a show, hoping to translate fortune into credibility, only to face public ridicule. The failure of the play reveals the fragility of prestige built on luck. The arc contrasts art, commerce, and personal ambition in a bustling urban setting.

🏡 Homecoming and Resilience

Despite a whirlwind of city life, the story circles back to South Bend, offering a return to roots and family. The sisters’ experiences foster resilience and a tempered view of wealth. Their decision to return signals a balance between aspiration and restraint. The ending suggests that wisdom and kinship provide a steadier foundation than fortune alone.

🌃 Urban Illusion vs. Reality

New York’s glittering facade invites danger and disillusion, exposing the gap between appearance and reality. The characters grapple with glamorous promises that crumble under scrutiny and misfortune. The city serves as both catalyst and teacher, illuminating the costs of chasing status. The film uses urban mirage to critique the allure of rapid success.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

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So This Is New York Summary

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So This Is New York Timeline

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So This Is New York (1948) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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