Two Smart People (1946) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story begins in a Beverly Hills hotel, then shifts to a transcontinental train traveling from Los Angeles to New York, with a stop in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. These locations create a mobile stage for the cat-and-mouse chase between the characters.

• beverly hills
• new orleans
• train journey
• locations
• setting

The film is set in the 1940s, reflecting the post-war era through its fashion, technology, and social dynamics. The era's attitudes toward law enforcement, criminality, and romance shape the characters' interactions and moral choices.

• 1940s
• time period
• era
• post-war

Ace Connors is a seasoned con man who has hidden a fortune in bonds and uses calculated charm to navigate danger. He plans to testify to reduce his sentence but triggers a dangerous chain of double-crosses. He is pragmatic, self-preserving, and always several steps ahead of his rivals.

• ace connors
• con man
• criminal
• swindler

Ricki Woodner is an attractive, quick-thinking con artist who intervenes with her own scam to counter Ace's scheme. She is drawn to Ace and willing to help him, complicating loyalties with her charm and resourcefulness. Her motives and trustworthiness keep others guessing throughout the journey.

• ricki woodner
• con artist
• protagonist
• lucille ball

Bob Simms is a cautious police officer assigned to accompany Ace and keep him in check during the journey. He embodies duty and integrity, aiming to prevent a miscarriage of justice while racing to outpace Fly and ensure the truth comes to light before Ace reaches Sing Sing.

• bob simms
• detective
• cop
• law enforcement
• police

Fly Feletti is Ace's former partner who resents the deal Ace makes with authorities and schemes to derail him. He is determined, sly, and willing to take risks to keep his share of the crime. His constant presence creates escalating tension as the pursuit tightens on the moving train.

• fly feletti
• rival
• former partner
• antagonist

Deception drives the plot as Ace hides bonds in a cookbook while Ricki mounts a counter-scam. The film juxtaposes multiple cons and shifting loyalties, showing how easily appearances can mislead. Every move on the train heightens the stakes and tests who can outwit whom.

• deception
• con
• scam
• trick
• deception theme

Romantic feelings complicate the moral calculus of crime as Ricki's attraction to Ace blurs lines between ally and adversary. Distrust and desire pull the characters in opposing directions, adding emotional tension to the risk-filled journey and creating a central dynamic that drives the narrative forward.

• romance
• love
• attraction
• relationship
• romance theme

A cop and a rival con artist chase Ace across moving scenery, turning the train into a courtroom on wheels. The pursuit tests nerve and cleverness under pressure as confrontations peak at moments of misdirection, culminating in a high-stakes showdown between all parties involved.

• pursuit
• chase
• manhunt
• train pursuit
• cat and mouse

The transcontinental train journey serves as the primary setting where most of the action unfolds. It creates a confined, mobile stage that intensifies the cat-and-mouse dynamics, forces characters into close quarters, and builds tension as the destination Sing Sing prison approaches.

• train
• journey
• sing sing
• prison
• railroad

The train stops in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, adding color and distraction to the tense game of con artistry. The festive atmosphere creates a vivid backdrop that contrasts with the serious stakes of the pursuit, providing both visual spectacle and narrative opportunities for deception.

• mardi gras
• new orleans
• carnival
• festival
• distraction