That Man’s Here Again (1937) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Nancy believes the vase she broke is valuable and fears she will be arrested for damaging it. Since she is working illegally without proper references and has been hiding her child, she panics and decides to flee rather than face the consequences. She leaves a note for Jimmy but doesn't reveal where she's going, hoping to avoid both arrest and explaining her secret.

• nancy
• vase
• mr jesse
• runs away
• arrest
• fear

Jimmy has previously expressed a negative attitude toward children, making Nancy afraid that revealing she has a child will drive him away. She cares deeply about their developing relationship and worries that this secret, once discovered, would destroy the connection they've built. Her hesitation reflects her vulnerability as a single mother trying to secure a stable future.

• nancy
• child
• jimmy
• single mother
• secret
• relationship

Jimmy searches the building and nearby areas but loses her trail. He eventually turns to the police missing persons division, who inform him that Mary is hospitalized with pneumonia. This leads him to visit her at the hospital where they reconnect as she recovers, giving them a chance to rebuild their relationship.

• jimmy
• mary
• hospital
• pneumonia
• missing persons
• search

When Jimmy visits the care home where Mary's child is staying, he sees the baby's vulnerability and realizes why Mary clung to him for support. Moved by the child's situation and Mary's predicament as a single mother, Jimmy develops genuine affection for the baby. This emotional encounter transforms his earlier skepticism into compassion, motivating him to find Mary and care for them both.

• jimmy
• baby
• care home
• affection
• transformation
• single mother

Mr. Jesse provides practical support and advocacy for the couple as they plan to build a life together with the child. His assistance helps smooth their path back into the apartment building's community, ensuring they have the stability and support needed to stay together. His role is instrumental in achieving the hopeful ending where they begin their new life.

• mr jesse
• jimmy
• mary
• help
• support
• resolution

Nancy is caught in a rainstorm with nowhere else to go. Soaked and desperate for warmth, she slips into the basement of the luxury apartment building to shelter from the storm. This is where Jimmy first meets her, and her vulnerability in that moment sparks his sympathy and desire to help her.

• nancy
• basement
• shelter
• rain
• homeless
• jimmy

A letter arrives addressed to Mary, which gives Jimmy a clue about where she might have gone. He follows this lead to the care home where her child is being cared for, discovering that Mary hasn't visited in weeks. This clue is crucial in guiding Jimmy's search and helping him understand Mary's desperate situation as a mother.

• letter
• mary
• child
• care home
• clue
• search

The vase breaking serves as the catalyst that forces Nancy to make a desperate decision that changes everything. Her fear of arrest and exposure leads her to abandon her new life and job, causing her disappearance. This creates the main conflict of the film, Jimmy's search for her, and drives the emotional arc toward reconciliation. Without this incident, their relationship might have progressed differently.

• vase
• turning point
• conflict
• nancy
• disappearance
• story

Jimmy works as the night shift elevator operator in a stylish luxury apartment building. His position gives him a front-row view of the comings and goings of wealthy residents, while he himself lives a modest life within this world of glamour. It is this job that places him in the building when Nancy seeks shelter, setting their entire relationship in motion.

• jimmy
• elevator operator
• apartment building
• job
• night shift

Nancy is revealed to also go by the name Mary. The summary refers to her as Nancy in the early scenes but switches to Mary later, suggesting these may be variations of her name or nicknames. The reason for the name difference isn't explicitly stated in the provided data, but it appears Nancy uses Mary when dealing with matters concerning her child, such as the letter from the care home.

• nancy
• mary
• name
• confusion
• character