We’re in the Money (1935) Plot Summary Explained

At the trial, Bronson presents a photograph showing LeClaire cosily in Courtney's lap. This visual evidence appears to prove Courtney was intimate with LeClaire, which convinces him he should honor his promise to marry her. Courtney believes the photo is genuine and agrees to the marriage, not realizing it was actually a fake created by Bronson combining two separate photos.

• courtney
• leclaire
• photo
• marriage
• trial
• fake photo

Ginger sends Dixie a message asking her to bring items for the honeymoon, but Dixie misinterprets the message. She thinks Ginger is simply luring Courtney in rather than genuinely planning a wedding. Believing she's helping complete the job, Dixie serves the final subpoena when the couple steps onto the dock, not realizing it will destroy their relationship.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Ginger sends a message about honeymoon supplies, which Dixie misreads as a signal to complete the serving of papers.

• dixie
• subpoena
• dock
• misunderstanding
• honeymoon

Courtney believes Ginger was only pretending to love him in order to get close enough to serve the subpoena. When Dixie delivers the last subpoena at the dock right after their romantic rescue, Courtney concludes the entire relationship was a setup to trick him. This perceived betrayal makes him angrily end the engagement.

• courtney
• ginger
• breakup
• subpoena
• trust

Bronson reveals that he created the compromising photo by combining two separate photographs together. The image showing LeClaire cosily nestled in Courtney's lap was actually spliced from two different pictures, making it appear they were together when they weren't. This photographic manipulation is what convinces Courtney to agree to marry LeClaire.

• bronson
• fake photo
• photograph
• manipulation
• trial

A new state law is about to take effect in a few weeks that will ban breach-of-promise lawsuits altogether. This means Claire LeClaire's case against Courtney will become invalid once the law changes. The subpoenas must be served before the deadline, or the entire lawsuit will be dismissed.

• deadline
• subpoena
• law
• breach of promise

Ginger deliberately jumps from Bronson's erratic motorboat and pretends to be in distress. Her goal is to get rescued by Courtney's crewmen, which gives her an opportunity to finally meet Courtney face-to-face and reveal her true identity. The dramatic rescue allows them to confront their feelings and their mutual deception.

• ginger
• jump
• boat
• rescue
• identity

Ginger, working as a process server, knows that Courtney is the defendant in the lawsuit. However, Courtney has been masquerading under the name Carter, a chauffeur, and goes unrecognized. Through this disguise, he meets Ginger without her realizing he is C. Richard Courtney. Meanwhile, Ginger doesn't reveal her own role as a process server, leading to their romance under false pretenses.

• ginger
• courtney
• chauffeur
• carter
• disguise
• identity

Courtney's lawyer, Stephen Dinsmore, advises him to escape the scandal by sailing away on his yacht. The plan is for Courtney to disappear abroad and avoid the courtroom drama entirely. Bronson helps arrange this escape, though the plan falls apart when Ginger orchestrates her rescue and confronts Courtney.

• bronson
• yacht
• escape
• courtney
• dinsmore

Claire LeClaire is the plaintiff in a breach-of-promise lawsuit against wealthy C. Richard Courtney. This type of lawsuit was common in the era when a man would promise to marry a woman but then fail to do so. LeClaire seeks compensation from Courtney for breaking his marriage promise, and she hires Bronson to pursue the case.

• leclaire
• breach of promise
• lawsuit
• courtney

Ginger Stewart and Dixie Tilton, two process servers working for lawyer Homer Bronson, are hired to deliver the subpoenas to reluctant witnesses in the case. They successfully serve papers on three targets: nightclub singer Phil Logan, gangster Butch Gonzola, and wrestler Man Mountain Dean. They receive $1,000 for completing this job before the deadline.

• ginger
• dixie
• subpoena
• process server
• bronson