Character Relationship Map: Playing Around

Characters

• Sheba Miller (played by Alice White) — protagonist

  Sheba is a working-class stenographer who dreams of a luxurious life. She rejects Jack because of his modest wages, then accepts the attention of wealthy-looking gangster Nickey Solomon after winning...

• Nickey Solomon (played by Chester Morris) — supporting

  Nickey is a gangster who presents himself to Sheba as a glamorous suitor, awarding her a prize after she wins a leg contest. He asks her to marry him, but robs a cigar store and shoots the man behind...

• Jack (played by William Bakewell) — supporting

  Jack is a soda jerk who is in love with Sheba and has asked her father for permission to marry her. Sheba initially rejects him because of his wages, then leaves him for Nickey's glamorous attentions....

• Pa Miller (played by Richard Carlyle) — supporting

  Pa Miller is Sheba's father and runs a cigar store. He likes Jack and would be pleased to see him marry Sheba, though she refuses Jack over his wages. Nickey shoots Pa during a store robbery; Sheba is...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Sheba Miller → Nickey Solomon (Romantic Attraction) — Sheba is attracted to Nickey's appearance, wealth, and luxurious lifestyle.

  Dazzled by Nickey's fancy clothes and car, Sheba accepts his attentions and abandons Jack.

• Sheba Miller → Jack (Romantic Interest) — Their relationship moves from rejection to reconciliation and marriage.

  Jack is madly in love with Sheba and asks her to marry him; Sheba later agrees to marry him.

• Pa Miller → Jack (Family Prospective Son-in-Law) — Pa supports Jack as a suitable husband for Sheba.

  Jack asks Pa Miller for consent to marry Sheba, and Pa likes Jack and would like his daughter to marry him.

• Sheba Miller → Pa Miller (Family Daughter) — Sheba is Pa Miller's daughter, and his shooting becomes the experience that changes her values.

  Pa Miller is identified as Sheba's father, and Nickey later unknowingly shoots him during the cigar-store robbery.

Story Dynamics

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

• Jack → Nickey Solomon (Conflict Adversary) — Jack becomes Nickey's active opponent and helps bring about his capture.

  Jack suspects Nickey committed the robbery, helps arrange an entrapment plan, and gets Nickey to confess before his arrest.

• Nickey Solomon → Pa Miller (Conflict Attacker) — Nickey's robbery directly causes Pa's injury and drives the final reversal.

  Nickey robs a cigar store and shoots the man behind the counter, who is later revealed to be Pa Miller.

Story Analysis

A working-class woman's pursuit of luxury collapses after crime exposes the value of loyalty, family, and genuine affection.

Plot Progression

1. A Working Girl Wants More — Sheba works as a stenographer while dreaming of luxury. Jack seeks Pa Miller's consent to marry her, but Sheba rejects him because of his low wage.
2. The Nightclub Temptation — Sheba persuades Jack to visit the exclusive Pirates Den. The prices cause an argument, but a leg contest introduces Sheba to Nickey Solomon.
3. Luxury Replaces Loyalty — Sheba wins the contest and is dazzled by Nickey's clothes and car. She accepts his attention, gives Jack the air, and receives Nickey's marriage proposal.
4. The Robbery Behind the Romance — Low on cash, Nickey robs Pa Miller's cigar store and shoots him. He hides the truth from Sheba and takes her to a club while Pa receives hospital treatment.
5. Confession and Humility — Jack helps arrange an entrapment that exposes Nickey's crime. Nickey is arrested at the train station, Pa is reported safe, and Sheba returns to Jack.