Character Relationship Map: Penthouse

Characters

• Gertie Waxted (played by Myrna Loy) — supporting

  Gertie Waxted is Mimi Montagne's friend and a witness connected to the party where Mimi is killed. She assists Jackson 'Jack' Durant by helping draw Tim Murtoch and Jim Crelliman into danger, while Ja...

• Tom Siddall (played by Phillips Holmes) — supporting

  Tom Siddall is Sue Leonard's fiancé, provided he ends his relationship with Mimi Montagne. After offering Mimi a generous settlement, he meets her at a party and is found beside her body holding a rev...

• Jim Crelliman (played by C. Henry Gordon) — supporting

  Jim Crelliman is a gangster and Mimi Montagne's former lover. He becomes involved after Mimi returns to him, threatens Jackson 'Jack' Durant with a large payment and violence, and is suspected of arra...

• Mimi Montagne (played by Mae Clarke) — supporting

  Mimi Montagne is Tom Siddall's mistress, whom he agrees to leave before marrying Sue Leonard. Angered when Tom offers her a settlement, she returns to Jim Crelliman and arranges to meet Tom at a party...

• Sue Leonard (played by Martha Sleeper) — supporting

  Sue Leonard is Jackson 'Jack' Durant's upper-class girlfriend who rejects his proposal because of his decision to represent racketeer Tony Gazotti. She later agrees to marry Tom Siddall, but asks Jack...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mimi Montagne → Jim Crelliman (Romantic Former Lovers) — Their renewed relationship connects Mimi to the criminal plot surrounding her death.

  Mimi quickly returns to her former lover Jim Crelliman after Tom offers her a settlement.

• Tom Siddall → Mimi Montagne (Romantic Former Lovers) — Tom's attempt to end the affair becomes a major source of resentment and suspicion.

  Tom has Mimi as his mistress and offers her a generous settlement when he agrees to end the relationship.

• Tom Siddall → Sue Leonard (Romantic Fiancees) — Their planned marriage is threatened by Tom's continuing relationship with Mimi.

  Sue agrees to marry Tom, but only if he gives up Mimi Montagne.

Story Dynamics

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

• Gertie Waxted → Tom Siddall (Narrative Witness Connection) — Gertie's presence links her testimony to the case against Tom.

  Gertie was at the party where Tom was found with a revolver after Mimi's death.

• Sue Leonard → Gertie Waxted (Conflict Romantic Rivalry) — Their encounter reveals competing assumptions about the attorney's romantic loyalties.

  Sue leaves after seeing Gertie wearing the attorney's robe, while Gertie tells her that the attorney is still in love with Sue.

• Gertie Waxted → Jim Crelliman (Conflict Adversary) — Gertie becomes directly endangered when she helps expose Jim's criminal operation.

  Gertie lures Jim onto a roof, later tells him she frightened the attorney into accepting his offer, and becomes threatened with being taken for a ride...

• Gertie Waxted → Mimi Montagne (Social Friend) — Gertie's connection to Mimi makes her an important witness.

  Gertie is identified as Mimi's friend and was present at the party where Mimi was killed.

Story Analysis

A lawyer's defense of a murder suspect exposes a criminal conspiracy while transforming his personal loyalties and romantic future.

Plot Progression

1. A Lawyer Leaves Respectability — The attorney's defense of a racketeer costs him his law firm and his relationship with Sue. Sue then agrees to marry Tom only if he ends his affair with Mimi.
2. A Party Becomes a Crime Scene — Mimi rejects Tom's settlement and reconnects with Jim, who arranges a party meeting. Mimi is shot on the balcony, leaving Tom holding the apparent murder weapon.
3. Threats Surround the Defense — Sue asks the attorney to defend Tom despite anonymous threats. Gertie provides a possible lead, but the pawnbroker is murdered after questioning.
4. The Shot Came From Above — A bribe and a threat fail to stop the investigation. The shooting angle leads toward an apartment connected to Jim's gunmen, while Gertie secretly helps the investigation.
5. The Gang's Last Stand — A police trap forces a gunman to confess, while Gertie is endangered by Jim's retaliation. The resulting shootout kills Jim's group, and Gertie and the attorney choose a future together.