Those Were the Days! (1940) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film takes place primarily on a college campus filled with fraternities, dances, and the chaos of student life. The story also moves to a town jail and the judge's environment, which anchors the present-day framing of the narrative.

• college campus
• fraternity
• town jail
• setting

The film uses a dual timeline structure, bookending a 35th wedding anniversary in the present with a flashback to the couple's college years. This contrast highlights how youthful choices ripple into adulthood.

• present day
• college years
• flashback
• 1930s era

The movie explores three interconnected themes: love as a transformative force that reconciles differences, redemption through personal growth and commitment, and class boundaries between social statuses. These themes blend humor and sentiment throughout the story.

• love
• redemption
• class differences
• themes

Love serves as the transformative force that reconciles Petey's impulsive nature with Martha's values. The romance bridges social differences, turning the couple's initial attraction into a lasting bond that spans decades.

• petey
• martha
• romance
• transformation

Petey's mischief and arrests push him toward personal growth. Through vulnerability and commitment to Martha, he shifts from a prank-prone youth to a more responsible partner, showing how love catalyzes meaningful change.

• redemption
• personal growth
• change
• maturity

The story probes social boundaries between a wealthy newcomer and a judge's daughter. Humor and romance temper power dynamics, showing how status can be softened by affection and shared moments between Petey and Martha.

• class
• social status
• judge
• wealth

Petey is a wealthy newcomer to the college whose ego drives pranks and flirtations, creating the social turbulence that defines campus life. His arc bends toward growth as he falls for Martha, and the crucial turning point comes when he discovers she is the judge's daughter.

• petey simmons
• william holden
• protagonist
• prankster

Martha is the judge's daughter who becomes Petey's love interest. She allies with his romance by stepping into the consequences of his actions, ultimately influencing her father and shaping their future together. She embodies charm, independence, and romantic resolve.

• martha scroggs
• bonita granville
• judge daughter
• love interest

Judge Squire Jennings is Martha's father, a stern authority figure who wields the law as both threat and instrument of order. His initial punitive stance motivates Petey's urgency to reform, but by the end, his daughter's romance and Petey's changes soften his perspective.

• judge jennings
• authority
• father
• law

This is a romantic comedy with a light and whimsical tone. The story contains conflicts like arrests and a jail sentence, but these are presented as lighthearted pranks rather than serious threats, keeping the emotional weight gentle and humorous.

• comedy
• romance
• tone
• lighthearted

The film uses a flashback structure that frames an elderly man at his 35th wedding anniversary looking back on his college misadventures. This creates a heartfelt reflection on youthful folly and the transition from naive college student to committed partner.

• nostalgia
• flashback
• marriage
• reflection