Character Relationship Map: Fugitives for a Night

Characters

• Matt Ryan (played by Frank Albertson) — protagonist

  An aspiring actor initially demoted to a studio stooge arranging publicity for rising star John Nelson, later assigned to fading star Dennis Poole. He stages a fake shooting to generate media interest...

• Ann Wray (played by Eleanor Lynn) — supporting

  A studio publicity agent who shows interest in Matt Ryan. After Tenwright is murdered and Ryan is suspected, she helps him escape and travels with him to Dennis Poole's Hollywood home. At the end, she...

• Eileen Baker (played by Adrienne Ames) — supporting

  An actress whom Matt Ryan attempts to pursue, though she shows little romantic interest in him despite his efforts.

• Police Captain (played by Jonathan Hale) — supporting

  A police captain who oversees the investigation at Dennis Poole's Hollywood residence. He suspects Matt Ryan should return for questioning and conducts paraffin tests on the gathered suspects to ident...

• Dennis Poole (played by Bradley Page) — supporting

  A fading movie star assigned Matt Ryan as his stooge. He is targeted for extraction from an illegal gambling club before a police raid. Later, under police surveillance at his Hollywood home, he fails...

• John Nelson (played by Allan Lane) — supporting

  A rising movie star who initially employs Matt Ryan to arrange publicity. After a photo shoot fails to materialize, he distances himself from the manipulative studio boss Maurice Tenwright.

• Maurice Tenwright (played by Russell Hicks) — supporting

  A manipulative studio boss who demotes Matt Ryan and assigns him to Dennis Poole. He instructs Ryan to extract Poole from an illegal gambling club but is fatally shot during a police raid when the lig...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Police Captain → Ann Wray (Power Investigative Authority) — Ann is placed under the captain's investigative authority during the final inquiry.

  Ann returns with Ryan to Poole's Hollywood home, where the police captain oversees the suspects and the investigation.

• Police Captain → Dennis Poole (Professional Arresting Investigator) — The captain directs the investigation that exposes and arrests Poole.

  At Poole's Hollywood home, the captain conducts paraffin tests, and Poole is arrested after confessing.

• Dennis Poole → Maurice Tenwright (Power Controlled Client) — Poole is subject to Tenwright's professional authority.

  Tenwright instructs Ryan to extract Poole from the illegal gambling club, showing that Poole's movements are being managed through the studio.

• Ann Wray → Maurice Tenwright (Professional Studio Colleague) — They belong to the same studio publicity structure.

  Ann is identified as a studio publicity agent, while Tenwright is the studio boss directing publicity-related assignments.

• Matt Ryan → Eileen Baker (Romantic Unreciprocated Suitor) — Ryan's pursuit of Eileen is not reciprocated.

  Matt tries to pursue actress Eileen Baker, but she shows little interest in him.

• Matt Ryan → Dennis Poole (Professional Assigned Publicist) — Ryan becomes responsible for managing Poole's publicity interests.

  Tenwright assigns Ryan to act as a stooge for fading star Dennis Poole.

• Maurice Tenwright → Matt Ryan (Power Studio Superior) — Tenwright controls Ryan's studio assignments.

  Tenwright relegates Matt Ryan to a stooge role and later assigns him to work for Dennis Poole.

• Matt Ryan → John Nelson (Professional Publicity Stooge) — Matt initially works as Nelson's publicity stooge.

  Matt Ryan is assigned by the studio to arrange publicity for rising star John Nelson.

Story Dynamics

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

• Police Captain → Matt Ryan (Conflict Investigation Suspect) — The captain treats Ryan as a possible suspect.

  The police captain expects Ryan to return to Dennis Poole's home because Ryan is under suspicion after Tenwright's death.

• Matt Ryan → Ann Wray (Alliance Escape Companion) — Ann actively remains with Ryan during his flight and investigation.

  After Tenwright is killed and Ryan becomes a suspect, Ryan and Ann get away together and later return to Poole's Hollywood home.

• John Nelson → Maurice Tenwright (Conflict Professional Rival) — Nelson rejects Tenwright's control over his career.

  After a photo shoot fails to happen, John Nelson walks away from Maurice Tenwright, who is described as a manipulative studio boss.

Story Analysis

An aspiring actor escapes suspicion after a studio murder and finds a hopeful future with the woman who supports him.

Plot Progression

1. Studio Status Games — Matt Ryan is reduced to a publicity stooge and struggles under Maurice Tenwright's studio control. John Nelson rejects Tenwright after a failed photo shoot, while Ryan's romantic pursuit of Eileen rem...
2. Publicity At The Joshua Club — Ryan is reassigned to fading star Dennis Poole and joins the others at the illegal Joshua Club. He stages a fake shooting, but Tenwright soon warns him about an approaching police raid.
3. Blackout And Murder — The police raid the club and the lights go out. Tenwright is shot, suspicion falls on Ryan, and Ryan escapes with Ann.
4. The Suspects Reassemble — Ryan and Ann travel by train flatbed and return to Poole's Hollywood home. The police captain gathers the suspects and presses them for answers.
5. Confession And Escape — Paraffin tests reveal that Poole recently fired a gun, and he confesses to Tenwright's murder. After Poole's arrest, Ryan and Ann choose a possible life outside the movie business.