The One and Only (1978) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Mary is drawn to Andy's supreme confidence and daring swagger. As an impressionable college student, she finds his self-assurance attractive and believes that marrying him quickly, before fame makes him unavailable, will secure her a life of excitement and stardom. Her decision reflects both genuine attraction and a naive belief in his promises of a glamorous future.

Foreshadowing: Their first meeting establishes Andy as a supremely self-assured young man convinced he will become a star, which explains Mary's initial fascination.

• Mary Crawford
• Andy Schmidt
• quick marriage
• college romance
• attraction

Mary maintains her loyalty to Andy because she genuinely loves him and believes in his potential, even as months pass without success. Despite financial strain and having to ask her parents for money, she continues supporting him while working an office job and later becoming pregnant. Her steadfast love persists because she saw something in his confidence that others didn't, and she's committed to seeing their marriage through.

Foreshadowing: Mary's initial attraction to Andy's confidence foreshadows her unwavering support even when that confidence appears unfounded.

• Mary Crawford
• loyalty
• marriage
• financial struggle
• pregnancy

Milton Miller, a pint-sized actor with an outsized ego, confesses to Andy that he occasionally wrestles to earn money. This revelation plants the seed for Andy's career pivot. When traditional acting fails to bring success, Andy remembers Milton's side income and decides to try professional wrestling as a new path to fame and income.

Foreshadowing: The friendship timeline shows Milton revealing his wrestling income shortly before Andy decides to pursue wrestling himself.

• Milton Miller
• Andy Schmidt
• wrestling career
• career change
• inspiration

Andy creates a flamboyant, showy persona called 'The Lover,' inspired by Gorgeous George, a vaudeville-style character who captivates crowds with his bravado and swagger. Despite not having the traditional wrestler's build, Andy throws himself into the role with relentless gusto, adopting distinctive looks, manners, and swagger that enthrall audiences. The persona works because it's theatrical and entertaining, playing to his strengths as an impressionist and showman.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Andy interrupting dinner with impressions and performing confidently for Mary's parents, demonstrating his natural showmanship.

• The Lover wrestling persona
• Andy Schmidt
• vaudeville
• showmanship
• Gorgeous George

Mary asks her parents for financial help because Andy refuses to get a real job and remains convinced that Broadway or Hollywood is just around the corner. Six months pass with Andy achieving nothing in his acting career while his ego stays completely intact. With Mary pregnant and no income coming in, she must turn to her worried parents for support to keep the couple afloat.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Mary taking an office job to support them before she becomes pregnant, establishing the financial pressure before the pregnancy is revealed.

• Mary Crawford
• financial support
• parents
• pregnancy
• Andy unemployed

Andy's wrestling fame brings money and attention, validating his gamble, but simultaneously creates strain on the marriage. As his popularity grows and thousands of fans follow his persona, the dynamic shifts, fame encroaches on their relationship while Mary watches from the sidelines. The couple must navigate how his rising stardom affects their family plans and personal connection, testing devotion against restless ambition.

Foreshadowing: The narrative consistently contrasts Mary's steadfast love with Andy's ego-driven ambition, setting up the tension that success would create.

• wrestling fame
• marriage strain
• Andy Schmidt
• Mary Crawford
• ambition vs love

Andy displays supreme self-confidence and is convinced he will become a star from the moment he meets Mary. His ego shows no sign of bruising even after months of failure in New York. This desperate craving for fame drives every decision, he delays real work, pursues risky paths like wrestling, and constructs an elaborate persona. The film suggests his need for validation through celebrity is central to his identity.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes Andy as remarkably conceited, hinting at deeper psychological motivations for his fame-seeking.

• Andy Schmidt
• fame
• ambition
• ego
• celebrity

Andy's inappropriate behavior during the dinner visit shocks Mary's straitlaced parents. He hugs them, calls them 'Tom and Mom' despite barely knowing them, and interrupts dinner to launch a string of impressions, turning a family meal into a public performance. These actions reveal his lack of social boundaries and self-importance, making Mary's parents deeply uneasy about their daughter's future with him.

Foreshadowing: This scene demonstrates Andy's confidence bordering on disrespect, which becomes a consistent pattern throughout the film.

• Andy Schmidt
• Mary's parents
• dinner visit
• impressions
• Columbus Ohio