Character Relationship Map: Looking for Trouble

Characters

• Joe Graham (played by Spencer Tracy) — protagonist

  Joe is a Los Angeles telephone-line repairman who prefers fieldwork to a promotion. Working with Casey, he uncovers a phone-tapping racketeering scheme and helps stop a robbery. He also tries to clear...

• Casey (played by Jack Oakie) — supporting

  Casey is a new telephone repairman assigned to work with Joe and is fond of practical jokes. He hears about a planned casino raid and warns the people involved, later helps Joe investigate the tapped...

• Ethel Greenwood (played by Constance Cummings) — supporting

  Ethel is a company switchboard operator who has a romantic relationship with Joe. She breaks up with him after blaming him for Dan's dismissal, then works at an office that conceals a racketeering ope...

• Dan Sutter (played by Morgan Conway) — supporting

  Dan is Joe's coworker and regular repair partner, and his absence leads Joe to work with Casey. After Joe tells their boss that Dan went to the casino, Dan is fired. He later participates in the racke...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Dan Sutter → Ethel Greenwood (Romantic Rivalry) — Dan's connection with Ethel fuels the breakdown of her relationship with Joe.

  Joe suspects Ethel is dating Dan, and Dan later tells Ethel that Joe caused him to be fired, leading Ethel to become angry with Joe.

• Casey → Dan Sutter (Professional Coworkers) — Casey is linked to Dan through the telephone repair crew and the resulting investigation.

  Casey works the night shift with Joe because Dan cannot work it, and Casey later helps Joe investigate the criminal operation connected to Dan.

• Joe Graham → Ethel Greenwood (Romantic Former Lovers) — Their romance is repeatedly damaged by suspicion and conflicting loyalties.

  Joe has been involved with Ethel, but they split after he suspects she is dating Dan while Joe is working overtime.

• Joe Graham → Casey (Professional Work Partner) — Joe and Casey become field partners whose investigations drive the main criminal plot.

  Dan Sutter cannot work the night shift, so Joe is assigned to work with Casey. They investigate the corpse, the illegal phone operation, and the robbe...

• Joe Graham → Dan Sutter (Professional Coworker) — Their workplace connection is central to the initial assignment and later investigation.

  Dan is Joe's coworker and partner, but he cannot work the night shift, causing Joe to be paired with Casey.

Story Analysis

A field repairman uncovers a racketeering scheme while trying to save his partner from criminal suspicion and restore his relationship.

Plot Progression

1. A Troublemaker Finds Trouble — Joe rejects promotion and continues working in the field. A night reassignment with Casey leads to the discovery of a corpse and an unexpected casino raid warning.
2. Blame at the Telephone Company — Joe and Casey are accused after the failed raid. Joe's explanation gets Dan fired, while Joe's unstable relationship with Ethel suffers another breakup.
3. The Hidden Phone Scheme — Ethel begins working with Dan at a deceptive office connected to racketeering. Joe and Casey discover a telephone tap while investigating a malfunction at an investment company.
4. Fire at the Robbery — Joe catches Dan near the vault, but criminals bind Joe and Casey. Their improvised electrical signals and Casey's accidental fire finally bring a rescue.
5. The Confession and Release — Dan is found dead and Ethel is arrested because of the evidence. Joe and Casey locate the actual murderer, preserve the confession during an earthquake, and secure Ethel's release.