Character Relationship Map: Dangerous

Characters

• Joyce Heath (played by Bette Davis) — protagonist

  Joyce Heath is a once-promising Broadway actress whose destructive choices have left her struggling and convinced she is a jinx. Don Bellows tries to restore her career and loves her, but she hides he...

• Don Bellows (played by Franchot Tone) — supporting

  Don Bellows is a prominent architect whose admiration for Joyce Heath began when her performance inspired his career. Engaged to Gail Armitage, he breaks that engagement to finance Joyce's Broadway re...

• Gail Armitage (played by Margaret Lindsay) — supporting

  Gail Armitage is Don Bellows's beautiful and wealthy fiancée at the beginning of the story. Don abandons their engagement after falling in love with Joyce Heath and risking his fortune on Joyce's Broa...

• Gordon Heath (played by John Eldredge) — supporting

  Gordon Heath is Joyce Heath's ineffectual but devoted husband, whose finances were ruined by their marriage. Joyce asks him for a divorce so she can be with Don Bellows, but Gordon refuses. Joyce then...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Joyce Heath → Gordon Heath (Family Spouse) — Their marriage is the concealed obstacle at the center of the story.

  The plot states that Joyce is married to Gordon Heath, although she hides the marriage from Don.

• Don Bellows → Gail Armitage (Romantic Fiancee) — Gail represents Don's abandoned but ultimately restored relationship.

  Don is engaged to Gail when he meets Joyce, later breaks the engagement, and ultimately sends Joyce away to marry Gail.

• Joyce Heath → Don Bellows (Romantic Love Interest) — Their love drives Don's sacrifice and Joyce's eventual moral transformation.

  Don falls in love with Joyce while helping her recover, and Joyce admits that she truly loves Don at the end.

Story Dynamics

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

• Joyce Heath → Gail Armitage (Conflict Romantic Rival) — Their opposing claims on Don create the film's central romantic triangle.

  Don leaves Gail for Joyce, then sends Joyce away so he can marry Gail.

Story Analysis

A troubled actress destroys her relationships before accepting responsibility and choosing a more responsible life.

Plot Progression

1. An Actress Worth Saving — Don Bellows meets Joyce Heath while engaged to Gail Armitage. Joyce's former brilliance and her influence on Don's life lead him to help rehabilitate her.
2. Love Against The Warning — Don falls in love with Joyce despite her warning that she is a jinx. He breaks his engagement and finances her return to Broadway.
3. The Hidden Marriage — Don presses Joyce to marry him before opening night, but she conceals her marriage to Gordon. She asks Gordon for a divorce, and he refuses.
4. The Cost Of Deception — Joyce causes an automobile accident that cripples Gordon, while her own injuries keep her from the opening. The show fails and Don is financially ruined.
5. A Responsible Return — Don condemns Joyce's selfishness, forcing her to face the truth about herself. She revives the show, releases Don to Gail, and visits Gordon to repair their marriage.