Character Relationship Map: Arnold

Characters

• Karen (played by Stella Stevens) — protagonist

  Karen has just married Lord Arnold Dwellyn, despite his being a recent corpse. She can inherit his estate only by remaining permanently in the family mansion beside his unburied body. Her secret affai...

• Robert (played by Roddy McDowall) — supporting

  Robert is Lord Arnold Dwellyn's wastrel younger brother and one of the people dissatisfied with Arnold's unusual marriage and will. He has been conducting a secret affair with Karen, making their rela...

• Hester (played by Elsa Lanchester) — supporting

  Hester is Lord Arnold Dwellyn's sister and the only person described as happy with the strange arrangement surrounding his corpse, unburied body, and marriage to Karen. While the other relatives and a...

• Douglas Whitehead (played by Patric Knowles) — supporting

  Douglas Whitehead is Lord Arnold Dwellyn's solicitor cousin and one of the people unhappy with the unusual postmortem marriage and inheritance conditions. He is involved with the group trying to break...

• Lord Arnold Dwellyn (played by Norman Stuart) — supporting

  Lord Arnold Dwellyn is a recent corpse whose marriage to Karen and unusual will control the entire conflict. His body must remain unburied in the family mansion, while Karen must stay beside him to in...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Douglas Whitehead → Lord Arnold Dwellyn (Family Cousin) — Douglas is related to Arnold as a cousin.

  Douglas Whitehead is described as Arnold's solicitor cousin.

• Hester → Lord Arnold Dwellyn (Family Sister) — Hester is a member of Arnold's immediate family.

  Hester is identified as Arnold's sister.

• Robert → Lord Arnold Dwellyn (Family Younger Brother) — Robert is Arnold's younger brother and a claimant affected by Arnold's estate arrangements.

  Robert is identified as Arnold's wastrel younger brother.

• Karen → Lord Arnold Dwellyn (Romantic Wife) — Karen is Arnold's newly married wife.

  The plot states that Karen and Lord Arnold Dwellyn have just been married, although Arnold is already a corpse.

• Karen → Robert (Romantic Secret Lovers) — Karen and Robert maintain a hidden romantic relationship despite Karen's marriage to Arnold.

  The plot explicitly states that Karen has been having a secret affair with Robert.

Story Dynamics

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

• Hester → Karen (Alliance Supporter) — Hester is presented as the only family member openly accepting the situation benefiting Karen.

  The plot states that Hester is the only person happy with the marriage and its unusual arrangement.

• Douglas Whitehead → Karen (Conflict Inheritance Opponent) — Douglas's efforts threaten Karen's position in the estate.

  Douglas is among those trying to find ways to break Arnold's will, which determines Karen's inheritance.

Story Analysis

A bizarre marriage and inheritance condition turn a family estate into the center of greed, secrecy, and apparently preplanned deadly traps.

Plot Progression

1. A Marriage Beyond Death — Karen marries the recently deceased Lord Arnold Dwellyn. His body remains in the family mansion, and her inheritance depends on staying beside him permanently.
2. The Estate Divides — Robert, Douglas Whitehead, and other claimants oppose the arrangement and seek ways to break Arnold's will. Robert's secret affair with Karen adds a private threat to the family conflict.
3. The Hidden Fortune — The claimants search the family estate for a large hidden sum of cash. Their financial motives keep the conflict active despite the disturbing conditions surrounding Arnold's corpse.
4. Arnold's Deadly Design — Mysterious deathtraps begin targeting the greedy claimants. The traps appear to have been planned by Arnold before his death and tailored to individual victims.