That Certain Woman (1937) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie is set primarily in Chicago during the Prohibition era, a period notorious for bootlegging and gang violence. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre and the underground world of organized crime provide the backdrop for Mary Donnell's story. Later portions of the film shift to Europe as Mary seeks to escape American scandal.

• chicago
• prohibition era
• setting
• 1930s film

The story unfolds during the late Prohibition era, spanning from the late 1920s into the early 1930s. This was a period defined by organized crime, underground liquor trade, and rigid social expectations around wealth and marriage.

• prohibition
• 1920s
• 1930s
• time period

Mary Donnell is a naive yet resilient woman who marries a bootlegger and must navigate a tumultuous social circle while raising her child. She endures public scrutiny and family opposition while safeguarding her child's future. Her arc centers on moral complexity, sacrifice, and her pursuit of stability for her family.

• mary donnell
• protagonist
• character
• bette davis

Jack Merrick Jr. is the playboy son of a wealthy patriarch whose elopement with Mary is thwarted by his disapproving father. He embodies privilege and personal desire, and his later actions regarding Mary's child reveal a conflict between personal happiness and family duty.

• jack merrick
• henry fonda
• love interest
• character

Lloyd Rogers is a married attorney who is secretly attracted to Mary. He dies years after their association, leaving Mary the bulk of his estate. This triggers a media scandal and a custody battle, catalyzing the film's central legal and moral conflict.

• lloyd rogers
• attorney
• inheritance
• character

Florence 'Flip' Carson Merrick is Jack's wife from a similar social class, who becomes crippled in an automobile accident. Despite her disability, she later shows kindness to Mary, representing a complicated ally rather than a simple antagonist and framing class expectations.

• florence flip
• anita louise
• character
• class

Jack V. Merrick Sr. is the wealthy patriarch who distrusts Mary and seeks to control the estate and his grandchild's future. His conflict with the rest of the family drives the custody battle and public controversy, representing aristocratic authority and its limitations.

• jack merrick sr
• patriarch
• donald crisp
• authority

Mary's relationships with Jack and Lloyd pull her between love, social obligation, and personal responsibility. Her marriage to Jack is challenged by class differences and parental control, while Lloyd's secret affections complicate her life of professional ambition. The drama tests what love means when family reputation is at stake.

• romance
• duty
• love
• marriage
• class differences

The plot revolves around wealth, inheritance, and public judgment, with the press exposing Mary's past. The Merrick family's power struggles and the threat of losing the child heighten the moral stakes. Propriety clashes with personal choice, driving characters to justify or conceal their actions.

• scandal
• society
• inheritance
• wealth
• reputation

Mary asserts agency by choosing to raise her child despite stigma and family opposition. The story moves toward reconciliation as Jack and Mary confront their shared past. Forgiveness becomes a path to quieter happiness as Mary leaves for Europe and later is sought by Jack.

• independence
• forgiveness
• reconciliation
• agency

Parts of the story move to Europe as Mary seeks a fresh start away from American scandal. This geographic shift represents her pursuit of independence and escape from the public judgment and custody battles that consume her life in Chicago.

• europe
• setting
• escape
• new life

Detective Lieutenant Neely is a press-connected investigator who threads through the plot as scandals erupt and Mary's past is probed. He embodies the law's gaze on Mary's circumstances and the public's interest in the affair and inheritance will.

• detective neely
• investigator
• press
• scandal

The Merrick family's immense wealth creates both opportunity and conflict for Mary. It draws her into a world of social ambition and exposes her to scrutiny when past associations become public. The threat of losing access to the child's inheritance drives much of the custody drama.

• merrick family
• wealth
• inheritance
• custody

The film's tone is dominantly melancholic due to Mary's continuous losses and societal struggles, creating a heavy emotional weight centered on sacrifice and thwarted love. The ending is bittersweet: Mary achieves peace by allowing her son to have a stable life, but this comes at the cost of her own happiness, leaving her alone.

• tone
• melancholy
• sacrifice
• bittersweet ending