Character Relationship Map: Keep 'Em Slugging

Characters

• Pig (played by Huntz Hall) — protagonist

  Member of Tommy's teenage gang. He and his friends disrupt a movie theater but eventually find legitimate employment at the department store after helping expose a robbery plot.

• Tommy (played by Bobby Jordan) — supporting

  Teenage gang leader who seeks to steer his members toward legitimate work. He is falsely accused of theft by a corrupt manager, imprisoned, but later clears his name by helping catch a criminal ring a...

• String (played by Gabriel Dell) — supporting

  Member of Tommy's gang. Participates in a movie theater disruption alongside Pig and Ape, and later gains employment at the department store's shipping department.

• Sheila (played by Evelyn Ankers) — supporting

  Tommy's sister who works at the department store. She refuses a corrupt manager's romantic advance to secure her brother a job, quits in protest after his wrongful imprisonment, and eventually reconci...

• Suzanne (played by Elyse Knox) — supporting

  A salesgirl at the department store whom Tommy develops a romantic interest in, leading them to go on a movie date together.

• Ape (played by Norman Abbott) — supporting

  Member of Tommy's gang. Joins Pig and String in causing a scene at the movies, and subsequently obtains a job at the store after the gang helps stop a major robbery.

• Frank (played by Frank Albertson) — supporting

  A manager at Carruthers' department store who initially agrees to hire Tommy only under inappropriate conditions. He colludes with a gangster, frames Tommy for theft, but is ultimately outmaneuvered a...

• Jerry (played by Don Porter) — supporting

  Sheila's boyfriend who helps Tommy get hired at the department store and later secures his release from prison. He plays a key role in the gang's redemption and reconciles with Sheila.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Tommy → Suzanne (Romantic Interest) — Suzanne is Tommy's romantic interest during his attempt to build a respectable life.

  Tommy becomes smitten with salesgirl Suzanne, and they go to a movie together.

• Sheila → Jerry (Romantic Boyfriend And Girlfriend) — Their relationship is strained by Tommy's troubles but ultimately restored.

  Jerry is identified as Sheila's boyfriend, and the two reconcile at the end of the story.

• Tommy → Sheila (Family Brother And Sister) — Their sibling bond motivates Sheila's defense of Tommy.

  The plot explicitly identifies Sheila as Tommy's sister. Sheila tries to help him find work and quits after he is wrongfully imprisoned.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Sheila → Frank (Conflict Rejected Employer) — Sheila rejects Frank's improper condition and opposes his treatment of Tommy.

  Frank agrees to hire Tommy only if Sheila dates him, but Sheila refuses and later quits after Tommy is imprisoned.

• Tommy → Frank (Conflict Framer And Accused Worker) — Frank's corruption directly causes Tommy's imprisonment and later downfall.

  Frank colludes with a gangster, gives him Tommy's name, and frames Tommy for stealing a piece of jewelry.

• Tommy → Jerry (Alliance Supportive Friends) — Jerry repeatedly provides practical support to Tommy.

  Jerry gets Tommy a job at the department store and later secures Tommy's release from prison.

• String → Ape (Alliance Gang Teammates) — Their cooperation shifts from juvenile misconduct to legitimate teamwork.

  String and Ape participate together in the movie disruption and later obtain work in the department store's shipping department.

• Pig → Ape (Alliance Gang Teammates) — They act together as members of Tommy's gang.

  Pig and Ape are named among the gang members who noisily disrupt the movie and later help stop the robbery.

• Pig → String (Alliance Gang Teammates) — Their shared gang membership creates a practical partnership.

  Pig and String appear together as members of Tommy's gang and jointly disrupt the movie theater.

• Tommy → Ape (Alliance Gang Leader And Teammate) — Ape is part of Tommy's core gang and later assists his lawful goals.

  Ape is one of Tommy's gang members and participates in both the movie disruption and the effort to stop the robbery.

• Tommy → String (Alliance Gang Leader And Teammate) — String follows Tommy's leadership and supports the gang's redemption.

  String belongs to Tommy's gang, disrupts the movie with him, and later helps stop the silk shipment robbery.

• Tommy → Pig (Alliance Gang Leader And Teammate) — Tommy guides Pig from delinquent activity toward legitimate work.

  Tommy leads the teenage gang, while Pig is identified as one of its members. Pig later joins Tommy in stopping the department-store robbery.

Story Analysis

A teenage gang seeks respectable work, confronts workplace corruption, and earns redemption by stopping a department-store robbery.

Plot Progression

1. A Gang Seeks Honest Work — Tommy urges his gang to avoid crooked carnival jobs and replace wartime workers through legitimate employment. Sheila and Jerry help Tommy enter the department store.
2. Corruption Behind the Counter — The gang begins working at the store, while Tommy develops feelings for Suzanne. Frank's criminal alliance gradually places Tommy and his friends in danger.
3. The False Accusation — Tommy refuses to steal store goods and is framed by Frank for a jewelry theft. His imprisonment causes Sheila to quit, while Jerry works to secure his release.
4. The Gang Fights Back — After learning about the planned silk shipment robbery, Tommy and the gang choose to protect the store. Their fire-hose ambush stops the criminals and restores their reputation.