That Certain Woman (1937) Plot Summary Explained

Mary discovered she was pregnant shortly after her marriage to Jack was annulled by his father. Given the annulment and the social chasm between them, she was a widow with a criminal background and he was a wealthy socialite, she believed Jack would never be allowed to know about the child. She chose to have the child alone rather than face rejection or complicate Jack's new life with Florence.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jack's father had swiftly intervened to annul their marriage, establishing his willingness to use his power to separate them.

• mary pregnancy
• secret child
• jack merrick
• annulment

Lloyd Rogers had been secretly in love with Mary ever since she began working as his secretary. Though married, he kept his feelings hidden throughout their years of working together. His will leaving the bulk of his estate to Mary was an act of devotion, even in death, he wanted to provide for her and secure her future.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes that Lloyd was 'secretly attracted to Mary, but he keeps his feelings hidden' from the beginning.

• lloyd rogers
• will
• estate
• mary inheritance

Florence Carson Merrick proved to be kind and compassionate despite her position as Jack's wife. When she visited Mary the morning after Jack's all-night argument with his father, Florence showed genuine sympathy for Mary's situation. Rather than viewing Mary as a rival, she recognized Mary's sacrifice and moral strength, which is why Mary trusted her enough to allow her and Jack to raise the child.

• florence merrick
• mary friendship
• compassion
• custody

Once Jack Sr. learned the boy was his biological grandson, he became determined to gain custody of the child, not to help Mary, but to remove the boy from what he considered an improper upbringing. Despite Mary's years of dedicated care, he viewed her as socially unsuitable and believed the child deserved to be raised in the Merrick family. His lawsuit was an attempt to use the courts to enforce his class-based prejudices.

Foreshadowing: Jack Sr. had previously had the marriage annulled because of Mary's background, showing his disdain for her social standing.

• jack merrick sr
• custody lawsuit
• unfit mother
• merrick family

Mary chose to sacrifice her own happiness for her son's stability. She recognized that Jack and Florence could provide the child with wealth, social position, and a proper family environment, things she struggled to offer given the scandal surrounding her past. By allowing them to have the child, she ensured he would grow up without the stigma she faced. Her love for Jack also played a role; she wanted him to be happy despite her own feelings.

• mary sacrifice
• son custody
• stability
• love

When Lloyd Rogers died at Mary's apartment and left her his estate, the media investigated her background. Reporters uncovered that she had been the widow of bootlegger Al Haines, who was killed in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and that she had previously been married to Jack Merrick Jr. before his father had the marriage annulled. This revelation of her scandalous past created the public scandal that intensified the custody battle.

• press scandal
• mary past
• media
• exposure

Lloyd's wife believed that Mary's son was actually her husband's illegitimate child. This assumption, combined with the scandal of Lloyd dying at Mary's apartment, led her to contest the will. She sought to overturn it and prevent Mary from inheriting, convinced that Mary had manipulated her husband into leaving her his estate.

• lloyd wife
• will challenge
• illegitimate child
• inheritance

After his father annulled his marriage to Mary, Jack married Florence Carson, a woman from his own social class. This marriage was expected of him as the son of a wealthy family, and he likely hoped to fulfill his duty by conforming to his father's wishes. Florence was of his social standing, making her an acceptable wife to the Merrick family despite Jack's unresolved feelings for Mary.

• jack marriage
• florence carson
• social class
• arrangement

Mary left for Europe because she had given up her son to Jack and Florence and had nothing left holding her in Chicago. The scandal had damaged her reputation, the legal battles had drained her emotionally, and by releasing custody to Jack and Florence, she had sacrificed the one thing that kept her tethered to America. Europe represented a fresh start away from the pain and social judgment she endured.

• mary europe
• new start
• chicago
• departure

Florence Carson Merrick was later killed in an automobile accident. This tragic event, which had initially crippled her earlier in the film, ultimately resulted in her death. Her passing freed Jack to pursue a relationship with Mary, leading him to locate her in Europe and declare his intention to join her.

Foreshadowing: Florence was first crippled in an automobile accident earlier in the film, establishing the danger posed by car accidents to her health.

• florence death
• accident
• car crash
• passing