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This Is the Night (1932) movie poster

Plot Summary

This Is the Night (1932) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1932 · 80 mins · English
Directed by
Frank Tuttle
Starring
Tiny Sandford, Irving Bacon, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles, Claire Dodd, Rolfe Sedan

When Stephen, the husband of Gerald’s mistress Claire, finds a pair of tickets for a planned Venice getaway, Gerald must quickly invent a wife to hide the affair. To keep up the ruse, he hires a woman to pose as his wife, keeping Stephen clueless. The fake marriage creates tension as they try to convince all, since Stephen demands the couple travel.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like This Is the Night
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch This Is the Night (1932)

Where can you watch This Is the Night? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in This Is the Night: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of This Is the Night (1932) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Claire Mathewson's husband Stephen Mathewson returns unexpectedly from the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he was set to compete in the javelin. He discovers the train tickets for a romantic Venice getaway she has planned with her lover Gerald Gray. Bunny West, Gerald's friend, lies and says the tickets are actually for Gerald and his wife. With Stephen still suspicious, Gerald must find a fake wife to go to Venice with him. He tries to hire the actress Chou-Chou, but since her boyfriend is a jealous man, she gives the job to out-of-work Germaine, who needs the 2000 franc fee to keep from starving. At first, Gerald thinks she is too demure, but she soon convinces him that she can pretend to be a glamorous wife.

The two couples go to Venice. Bunny, attracted to Germaine, decides to join them. On the train, Stephen questions Gerald and Germaine about how they met. When they arrive in Venice, Claire quickly becomes jealous, as both Stephen and Gerald seem fascinated by Germaine. Claire eventually demands that Gerald send Germaine away immediately, so he orders her to leave the next day. Meanwhile, a drunken Bunny climbs a ladder into Germaine's bedroom and offers to take her away. After she turns down his offer, he falls into a canal on his way out and is apprehended by two policemen. Stephen believes he hears a burglar and goes to her room to investigate. The two are then caught in a seemingly compromising position by Gerald and Claire. However, Bunny reappears and explains what really happened. Claire breaks off her affair with Gerald. Germaine reveals to Gerald that she is not in fact Chou-Chou and decides to return to Paris, but Gerald catches up to her in a gondola and asks her to marry him.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:01

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Plot questions answered

This Is the Night Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about This Is the Night (1932): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Stephen return from the 1932 Olympics unexpectedly?

Stephen returns from the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he was competing in the javelin event, because he discovered the train tickets for a romantic Venice getaway that his wife Claire had planned with her lover Gerald. His early return disrupts their plan and triggers the entire comedic chain of events.

  • stephen
  • olympics
  • 1932
  • return
  • javelin
Q2

Why does Bunny lie about the Venice tickets?

Bunny lies about the tickets being for Gerald and his wife because he is Gerald's friend and wants to protect him from being exposed as Claire's lover. When Stephen confronts them about the tickets, Bunny quickly invents the cover story that the tickets belong to Gerald and his wife, setting in motion the need for a fake wife.

  • bunny
  • lie
  • tickets
  • cover story
Q3

Why does Gerald need to hire a fake wife for Venice?

Gerald needs a fake wife because Stephen now believes the Venice tickets belong to Gerald and his wife. If Gerald admitted he had no wife, Stephen would realize the tickets were actually for Claire and Gerald's affair. The fake wife is essential to maintain the lie and avoid exposing the infidelity.

  • gerald
  • fake wife
  • venice
  • lie
  • stephen
Q4

Why can't Chou-Chou pretend to be Gerald's wife?

Chou-Chou cannot take the job because her boyfriend is extremely jealous and would not allow her to travel to Venice with another man, even for a pretense. She needs the money but cannot risk her relationship, so she redirects Gerald to Germaine, another out-of-work actress in need of money.

  • chou-chou
  • jealous boyfriend
  • job
  • germaine
Q5

Why does Germaine agree to pose as Gerald's wife?

Germaine agrees because she is completely out of work and starving. The 2000 franc fee for the Venice trip is desperately needed to survive. Although she initially appears demure, she convinces Gerald she can perform the role of a glamorous wife convincingly.

  • germaine
  • 2000 francs
  • money
  • actress
  • desperate
Q6

Why does Claire become jealous of Germaine in Venice?

Claire becomes jealous because both Stephen and Gerald seem genuinely fascinated by Germaine, who is playing the glamorous wife role convincingly. Even though Claire is the one having an affair, she cannot stand seeing another woman capture the attention of the men, especially her own husband Stephen.

  • claire
  • jealousy
  • germaine
  • venice
  • stephen
  • gerald
Q7

Why does Claire demand Gerald send Germaine away?

Claire demands Germaine be sent away because her jealousy has reached a breaking point. She fears losing both Gerald's attention to this rival and her husband's trust. Gerald orders Germaine to leave the next day to satisfy Claire and try to salvage their original plan.

  • claire
  • germaine
  • send away
  • jealousy
  • demand
Q8

Why does Stephen go to Germaine's bedroom at night?

Stephen believes he hears a burglar in Germaine's room and goes to investigate, intending to protect her from what he thinks is an intruder. His noble intention leads to him being found in her room, creating the most compromising situation of the film.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Stephen's suspicion about Claire's fidelity has been established, making him alert to potential danger.

  • stephen
  • germaine
  • room
  • burglar
  • investigate
  • caught
Q9

How do Gerald and Claire catch Stephen and Germaine together?

After Stephen enters Germaine's room thinking he heard a burglar, both Gerald and Claire walk in on them in what appears to be a compromising situation. The timing makes it look like Stephen is having an affair, creating a tense confrontation that threatens to expose everyone's secrets.

  • gerald
  • claire
  • stephen
  • germaine
  • caught
  • compromising
Q10

How does Bunny explain what really happened that night?

Bunny reappears after his earlier canal incident and clarifies that he was the one who climbed the ladder to Germaine's room, not Stephen. He explains he was drunk, tried to convince Germaine to leave with him, and after she refused, he accidentally fell into the canal where police apprehended him.

  • bunny
  • canal
  • ladder
  • explain
  • police
  • drunk
Q11

Why does Claire end her affair with Gerald?

Claire ends the affair after witnessing the chaos caused by the deception and realizing the harm it has caused to everyone involved. The near-exposure of her own husband's supposed infidelity, combined with the complications of the fake wife scheme, leads her to choose her marriage over the affair.

  • claire
  • end affair
  • gerald
  • marriage
  • choice
Q12

Why does Germaine reveal she is not Chou-Chou?

Germaine reveals she is not actually Chou-Chou because she wants to be honest with Gerald after everything they've been through together. She decides to return to Paris, intending to leave behind all the deception and start fresh with her true identity.

  • germaine
  • reveal
  • not chouchou
  • honest
  • paris
  • return
Q13

Why does Gerald propose to Germaine in a gondola?

Gerald proposes to Germaine because he has genuinely fallen in love with her during the Venice trip. After she reveals her true identity and attempts to leave, he chases her down in a gondola and asks her to marry him, transforming their fake marriage into a real proposal.

  • gerald
  • germaine
  • proposal
  • gondola
  • marriage
  • love

Movie threads

More Movies Like This Is the Night, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes This Is the Night tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Farcical romantic comedies with mistaken identities like This Is the Night

Comedies where a simple lie about love spirals into chaotic, hilarious situations. This list features movies like This Is the Night, where a fabricated romance causes a cascade of comedic errors. If you enjoyed the lighthearted chaos of lies spiraling out of control, you'll find similar screwball comedies and witty romantic farces here, full of playful deception and happy endings.

  • deceptive
  • chaotic
  • frivolous
  • playful
  • romantic
  • witty
  • Tone: light, playful
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins with a character telling a small, impulsive lie—often about being married or in a relationship—to avoid embarrassment or exposure. This lie quickly necessitates further deceptions, involving hired actors or unwitting participants, leading to a series of increasingly absurd and coincidental encounters. The plot is driven by the constant threat of discovery, creating a fast-paced sequence of near-misses and misunderstandings that culminate in a farcical climax where the truth is revealed, often resulting in a genuine romantic connection.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific blend of light, romantic tone and fast, farcical pacing. They prioritize witty dialogue, situational humor, and the absurd complications that arise from a central deception, offering a consistently playful and low-stakes viewing experience focused on romantic entanglements and social comedy.

Playful and chaotic social comedies similar to This Is the Night

Fast-paced comedies where characters navigate a whirlwind of social blunders and witty repartee. Discover movies with a similar feel to This Is the Night, featuring high-society deceptions and fast-paced comic chaos. If you liked the frivolous tone and the humor derived from social embarrassment and quick-witted characters trying to maintain a facade, this collection of sophisticated yet silly comedies is for you.

  • playful
  • chaotic
  • witty
  • sophisticated
  • frivolous
  • deceptive
  • Tone: light, frivolous
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot often revolves around maintaining a social facade—be it a secret affair, a hidden identity, or a fabricated circumstance—within a sophisticated or upper-class setting. The humor stems from the stark contrast between polished appearances and the underlying farce. Characters are constantly improvising and scheming to keep up appearances, leading to a domino effect of coincidences, interruptions, and clever verbal exchanges that drive the narrative forward at a breakneck speed.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific mix of a light tone, fast pacing, and moderate intensity derived from social, rather than physical, peril. They create a cohesive experience of bubbly, intellectual humor centered on deception, jealousy, and the absurdities of trying to control social perception, all wrapped in a stylish, romantic package.

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Every angle

This Is the Night (1932) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about This Is the Night in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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