Character Relationship Map: Midnight

Characters

• Gar Boni (played by Humphrey Bogart) — protagonist

  Gar Boni is a charming man who meets Stella Weldon at Ethel Saxton’s trial and becomes the object of her intense love. He plans to leave town because Stella’s feelings have become too serious for his...

• Stella Weldon (played by Sidney Fox) — supporting

  Stella Weldon is Edward Weldon’s daughter and falls deeply in love with Gar Boni after meeting him at the trial. When Gar prepares to leave, she begs him to stay and later believes she has shot him du...

• Edward Weldon (played by O. P. Heggie) — supporting

  Edward Weldon is the jury foreman who questions Ethel Saxton about the money taken after her husband’s shooting and persuades the jury that the act was premeditated. On the night of Ethel’s execution,...

• Mrs. Weldon (played by Margaret Wycherly) — supporting
• Arthur Weldon (played by Richard Whorf) — supporting
• District Attorney Plunkett (played by Moffat Johnston) — supporting

  District Attorney Plunkett is contacted by Edward Weldon after Stella says she shot Gar Boni. His men investigate the murder scene and establish that the fatal bullet came from another car across the...

• Ethel Saxton (played by Helen Flint) — minor

  Ethel Saxton is tried for shooting her husband, insisting that she fired under extreme emotional pressure when he was leaving her rather than intending to kill him. Edward Weldon’s interpretation of h...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Arthur Weldon → Stella Weldon (Family Support) — Arthur is among the family members pressing for a defense of Stella.

  After Stella says she shot Gar, the family immediately searches for excuses for her and urges a story that would exculpate her.

• Mrs. Weldon → Stella Weldon (Family Support) — Mrs. Weldon is among the family members who support protecting Stella.

  After Stella says she shot Gar, the family immediately searches for excuses for her and urges a story that would exculpate her.

• District Attorney Plunkett → Edward Weldon (Professional Legal Contact) — Edward turns to Plunkett in response to the suspected shooting.

  After Stella says she shot Gar, Edward contacts the District Attorney and tells him the truth.

• Edward Weldon → Ethel Saxton (Professional Jury Foreman) — Edward's judgment as foreman helps secure Ethel's first-degree murder conviction.

  Edward is the jury foreman at Ethel's trial. He questions her about taking the money after shooting her husband and persuades the jury that this indic...

• Stella Weldon → Gar Boni (Romantic Lover) — Stella's intense love conflicts with Gar's wish to leave.

  Stella falls deeply in love with Gar after meeting him at the trial and begs him to stay or take her when he plans to leave town.

• Edward Weldon → Stella Weldon (Family Father) — A father-daughter bond placed under severe moral pressure.

  The plot identifies Stella as Edward's daughter. When she says she shot Gar, Edward is torn between protecting her and telling the District Attorney t...

Story Dynamics

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

• Ethel Saxton → Gar Boni (Narrative Indirectly Connected) — Ethel's trial indirectly connects Gar to the Weldon family and the events of the execution night.

  Stella meets Gar at Ethel's trial, and Gar's later relationship with Stella brings him to the Weldon home on the evening of Ethel's execution.

• Edward Weldon → Gar Boni (Narrative Moral Dilemma) — Gar's apparent murder forces Edward to act on his public commitment to the law.

  Edward contacts the District Attorney after Stella says she shot Gar, despite the family's pressure to conceal or excuse the shooting.

• District Attorney Plunkett → Gar Boni (Narrative Investigator) — The investigation establishes that Gar was killed in a gangland hit, not by Stella.

  Plunkett's men investigate Gar's murder scene and find that the fatal bullet came from another car across the street.

Story Analysis

Edward Weldon's commitment to the law is tested when his daughter's apparent shooting of Gar forces him to choose between family loyalty and public principle.

Plot Progression

1. A Verdict That Haunts — Ethel argues that she fired under emotional pressure, but Edward's question about the money leads him to persuade the jury that her act was premeditated. Ethel is convicted and sentenced to death.
2. The Last Night Together — On execution evening, friends try to support Edward while reporters wait outside and a journalist arranges a fake broadcast. Stella's love for Gar collides with his decision to leave town.
3. Two Crises Collide — The false broadcast intensifies Edward's distress as Ethel faces execution with dignity. As Edward defends his conduct to reporters, a gunshot occurs during Stella and Gar's final argument.
4. A Father's Choice — Stella says she shot Gar, and her family pressures Edward to help construct a self-defense account. Edward instead contacts the District Attorney and tells him the truth.
5. The Bullet's Origin — The investigation finds that the fatal bullet came from another car across the street. Gar's death is revealed as a gangland hit, and Stella weeps in Edward's arms as his dilemma falls away.