Character Relationship Map: For Singles Only

Characters

• Bret Hendley (played by John Saxon) — protagonist

  Bret is a bachelor playboy living in the singles complex, where he is neighbors with Jim Alen and Bob Merrick. They wager that he cannot seduce Anne, but he is too much of a gentleman to accept. When...

• Anne Carr (played by Mary Ann Mobley) — supporting

  Anne is a close friend of Helen and moves with her into a singles complex for unmarried tenants under 30. She becomes the focus of a wager between Bret's neighbors, who doubt he can seduce her. After...

• Helen Todd (played by Lana Wood) — supporting

  Helen is Anne's close friend and fellow resident of the singles complex. After enduring a traumatic romance with the married womanizer Gerald, she goes to the waterfront intending to commit suicide. A...

• Gerald Pryor (played by Peter Mark Richman) — supporting

  Gerald is a married womanizer whose traumatic romance with Helen deeply affects her. After enduring the relationship, Helen goes to the waterfront intending to commit suicide, and later considers givi...

• Mr. Parker (played by Milton Berle) — supporting

  Mr. Parker is the manager of the singles complex where Anne, Helen, and Bret live. He throws an engagement party for Bret and Anne, then proceeds to evict them from the premises. His actions connect t...

• Bob Merrick (played by Duke Hobbie) — supporting

  Bob Merrick is one of Bret's neighbors in the singles complex. Along with Jim Alen, he wagers that Bret cannot successfully seduce Anne. The plot summary provides no further details about Bob, but the...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Helen Todd → Gerald Pryor (Romantic Traumatic Romance) — Their past romance leaves Helen emotionally damaged and distrustful of men.

  Helen is described as having endured a traumatic romance with married womanizer Gerald Pryor.

• Mr. Parker → Anne Carr (Professional Building Manager) — Parker has an administrative relationship with Anne as a tenant.

  Mr. Parker manages the singles complex where Anne becomes a tenant.

• Mr. Parker → Bret Hendley (Professional Building Manager) — Parker manages the residential building in which Bret lives.

  Mr. Parker is the building's manager, and he throws an engagement party for Bret and Anne.

• Bret Hendley → Anne Carr (Romantic Partners) — Their romance becomes the central romantic relationship in the plot.

  Anne willingly goes along with a romance involving Bret after learning that the wager money would support his college education.

Story Dynamics

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

• Bob Merrick → Bret Hendley (Conflict Wagering Opponent) — Bob challenges Bret through a wager focused on Bret's ability to win Anne's affection.

  Bob Merrick and another neighbor make a wager with Bret that he cannot successfully seduce Anne.

• Anne Carr → Helen Todd (Social Close Friends) — Anne and Helen share a close friendship and enter the singles complex together.

  The plot explicitly describes Anne Carr and Helen Todd as close friends who move into the singles complex together.

Story Analysis

The film interweaves a wager-driven romance with a friend's traumatic crisis inside a strictly regulated singles complex.

Plot Progression

1. Rules of the Singles Complex — Anne and Helen move into a complex restricted to unmarried tenants under thirty. Bret's bachelor lifestyle and Bob's neighboring connection establish the social setting.
2. A Wager Becomes Romance — Bob proposes a wager about Bret's ability to seduce Anne. Anne learns that the money could fund Bret's college education and agrees to participate in a romance.
3. Celebration and Eviction — Anne and Bret's relationship develops into an engagement, prompting Mr. Parker to hold a party. Parker then abruptly evicts the couple, forcing them to address their problems.
4. Helen's Waterfront Crisis — Helen's traumatic history with Gerald Pryor drives her to the waterfront with suicidal intentions. After being assaulted, she considers abandoning relationships with men.