Character Relationship Map: Union Depot

Characters

• Charles 'Chick' Miller (played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) — protagonist

  A hobo released from jail for vagrancy, Chick finds a suitcase containing a suit and cash at the depot and briefly passes as a gentleman. He helps Ruth by offering her money for her trip, then risks a...

• Ruth Collins (played by Joan Blondell) — protagonist

  An unemployed chorus girl, Ruth is stranded at the depot and needs $64 for train fare to a job waiting in Salt Lake City. Chick initially doubts her story, but believes her after she shows him a teleg...

• Scrap Iron Scratch (played by Guy Kibbee) — supporting

  A fellow drifter released from jail with Chick, Scrap Iron accompanies him to the depot as they hope to leave town by train. He finds a discarded wallet containing the baggage-claim ticket for Bushy's...

• The Baron, aka Bushy Sloan (played by Alan Hale) — supporting

  A crook posing as a German musician, Bushy carries counterfeit money in a violin case and checks it into the depot's baggage storage. After Chick recovers the case and hides it, Bushy follows Chick an...

• Dr. Bernardi (played by George Rosener) — supporting

  A doctor who lived in the boarding house Ruth recently left, Bernardi is the frightening man she describes as following her. He had paid her to read to him in the evenings. He sends her a train ticket...

Story Dynamics

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

• The Baron, aka Bushy Sloan → Scrap Iron Scratch (Conflict Indirectly Connected Adversaries) — Scrap Iron's discovery and guarding of the claim ticket and case obstruct Bushy's control of his counterfeit-money stash, though the plot does not describe a direct encounter between them.

  Scrap Iron finds the discarded wallet containing the baggage-claim ticket for Bushy's violin case and gives the ticket to Chick; later, Scrap Iron gua...

• Ruth Collins → Dr. Bernardi (Conflict Pursuer And Frightened Target) — Bernardi's unwanted pursuit frightens Ruth and leads to Chick's attempt to reach her on the train.

  Ruth says Bernardi followed her after she left their boarding house and describes him as a 'madman.' When she goes to the designated train compartment...

• Charles 'Chick' Miller → The Baron, aka Bushy Sloan (Conflict Adversaries) — Their conflict grows from Chick unknowingly reclaiming Bushy's counterfeit-money case to Chick pursuing Bushy after the shooting and theft.

  After Bushy shoots a government agent and flees with the violin case, Chick chases and catches him.

• Charles 'Chick' Miller → Scrap Iron Scratch (Social Drifting Companions) — The two hobos travel together and rely on one another during the depot events; they end the film walking together along the railroad track.

  Scrap Iron is released from jail alongside Chick, walks with him toward the station, finds the wallet containing Bushy's baggage-claim ticket, and gua...

• Charles 'Chick' Miller → Ruth Collins (Alliance Protective Ally) — Chick moves from doubting Ruth's story to supporting her, protecting her from Bernardi, and helping her reach her destination.

  After Ruth explains that she needs $64 to reach a job in Salt Lake City, Chick promises to give her the money with no strings attached. He later rushe...

Story Analysis

At a busy railroad depot, a hobo's brief transformation leads him into a counterfeit-money chase while he tries to help a stranded woman.

Plot Progression

1. A Brief Gentleman — Released from jail, Chick and Scrap Iron head for the depot. Chick finds a suitcase, dresses in its suit, and meets Ruth, who explains her urgent need to reach a job in Salt Lake City.
2. The Hidden Counterfeit Fortune — Bushy's violin case holds counterfeit money, and a stolen wallet leaves its claim ticket discarded. Scrap Iron finds the ticket, allowing Chick to reclaim the case and hide it, while Ruth unknowingly...
3. The Train Compartment Terror — Bernardi sends Ruth a ticket and message directing her to a train compartment. She screams when she sees him; Chick breaks through the locked door, and Bernardi escapes onto the tracks, where a passin...
4. The Case and the Farewell — Suspicion over the counterfeit cash leads to Chick and Ruth being taken into custody. Bushy shoots an agent and escapes with the case, but Chick catches him; Ruth then boards for Utah, while Chick and...