Woman Chases Man (1937) Plot Summary Explained

Kenneth refuses to fund Nolan Heights because he recognizes the same reckless pattern he's seen in his father B.J.'s previous ventures. B.J. has a well-known history of backing outlandish schemes that fail, and Kenneth doesn't want to waste money on another questionable project. This refusal sets the entire plot in motion, forcing B.J. and Virginia to devise more elaborate methods to secure the funding.

Foreshadowing: B.J.'s pattern of failed schemes is established early through the detail that his wife left all her money to their son in her will.

• Kenneth Nolan
• Nolan Heights
• funding
• B.J. Nolan
• refused investment

Virginia faints from hunger after going without food for almost two days. She arrived at the mansion hoping to persuade B.J. to hire her as an architect, only to discover he is completely penniless and being chased by process servers. The shock of learning there's no money combined with her physical exhaustion from starvation causes her to collapse.

• Virginia Travis
• fainted
• hunger
• B.J. Nolan
• architect

Judy and Hunk pose as B.J.'s servants because he has had to let go of his entire staff due to lack of funds. The disguise creates an illusion of legitimacy around the household and supports the broader scheme to extract money from Kenneth. Their role is to maintain the appearance that B.J. is still financially stable while the real plan unfolds behind the scenes.

• Judy
• Hunk
• servants
• B.J. Nolan
• disguise
• scheme

The scheme fails because the bank requires explicit authorization from Kenneth for any check over $1,000. Virginia and B.J. attempt to use a mechanical device to have Kenneth sign five checks for household expenses, but when Mr. Judd at the bank reviews the transaction, he blocks it due to the authorization limit. This forces the group to abandon their initial direct approach and devise a new plan.

• bank
• checks
• authorization
• Kenneth Nolan
• rejected
• scheme failed

Virginia begins to develop genuine feelings for Kenneth after they share drinks and discover they like the same things. During their conversation, they start kissing, and this moment of authentic connection makes her rethink the plan to manipulate him. She realizes she's falling for him rather than just using him for money, creating internal conflict about continuing the deception.

• Virginia
• Kenneth
• feelings
• romantic
• changed
• attraction

Even after Virginia douses him with water to stop the signing and confesses the entire ruse, Kenneth chooses to finance Nolan Heights because his feelings for Virginia have become genuine. He embraces her despite knowing she was part of a scheme to manipulate him, indicating that his attraction to her outweighs the deception. The romantic connection has become more important to him than the financial risk.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier romantic moment while drinking foreshadows Kenneth's willingness to overlook the manipulation.

• Kenneth Nolan
• Nolan Heights
• finance
• signing
• truth
• embrace

Nina schemes to get Kenneth drunk because she wants him to propose to her and potentially become more compliant with signing large checks. Her goal is both romantic (securing a proposal) and financial (loosening Kenneth's judgment about money). This plan puts her in direct competition with Virginia, who is running a parallel scheme for different reasons.

• Nina
• Kenneth
• drunk
• proposal
• scheme
• manipulate

Henri is Nina's secret lover who accompanies Kenneth and Nina when they return from their cruise. While Nina poses as Kenneth's girlfriend, she is actually involved with Henri behind his back. This secret relationship adds another layer of romantic intrigue to the story and creates additional tension in the tangled love rectangle at the mansion.

• Henri
• Nina
• secret lover
• relationship
• romantic intrigue

Virginia tries to stop Kenneth from signing the contract by dousing him with a bucket of water because she has had a change of heart. After developing genuine feelings for him, she can no longer go through with the manipulation. The water is meant to snap him out of his drunken state and halt the signing before it's too late, even though it means revealing the entire scheme.

• Virginia
• water
• bucket
• signing
• contract
• stop

Kenneth chooses Virginia over Nina because their evening together revealed genuine compatibility and mutual attraction. While Nina was scheming to get him drunk for her own purposes, Kenneth experienced authentic connection with Virginia. Even when the truth about Virginia's scheme is revealed, Kenneth's feelings have already developed enough that he prefers her to Nina.

• Kenneth
• Virginia
• Nina
• choose
• romance
• preference

Henri travels with Kenneth and Nina on their cruise as Nina's secret lover while Kenneth believes she is his girlfriend only. The trio arrives together at the mansion, with Kenneth apparently unaware that Henri is anything more than a travel companion. The secret relationship works because Henri maintains the pretense of being just a friend or associate during the trip.

• Henri
• Nina
• cruise
• hidden
• secret
• travel