The Very Idea (1929) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A eugenics experiment orchestrated by a scientist backfires when hired participants develop genuine parental bonds, ultimately resolving through unexpected natural fertility.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

The Eugenics Proposal

Alan Camp devises a eugenics experiment to help his infertile sister Edith. He recruits his chauffeur Joe and maid Nora, offering them a substantial financial reward to conceive a child for adoption.

Key Events

• Eugenics Theory Publication — Alan Camp publishes his theoretical work on eugenics to establish scientific credibility. Characters: Alan Camp Location: Study
• Goodhue Infertility Struggle — Edith and her husband endure years of frustration due to their inability to conceive. Characters: Edith Goodhue Location: Home
• The Eugenics Proposal — Alan convinces Edith to adopt a eugenically created child to solve her infertility. Characters: Alan Camp, Edith Goodhue Location: Study
• Participant Recruitment — Alan recruits his chauffeur Joe and maid Nora to serve as biological parents. Characters: Alan Camp, Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Office
• Financial Agreement — Joe and Nora formally agree to the $15,000 payment for a twelve-month gestation. Characters: Alan Camp, Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Office

The Unplanned Bond

During the Goodhues' year-long absence in California, Joe and Nora conceive a baby. Their professional arrangement unexpectedly blossoms into genuine love, leading them to decide to keep the child.

Key Events

• Financial Agreement — Joe and Nora formally agree to the $15,000 payment for a twelve-month gestation. Characters: Alan Camp, Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Office
• California Departure — The Goodhues leave for a year-long trip to California to give the couple privacy. Characters: Edith Goodhue Location: Train Station
• Conception and Bonding — Nora and Joe conceive the baby and gradually develop genuine romantic feelings. Characters: Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Home
• Defiant Decision — The couple decides to keep the child and explicitly reject the original financial contract. Characters: Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Nursery

The Confrontation

The Goodhues return to find Joe and Nora married and living in a nursery. Alan desperately attempts to secure a replacement baby from an orphanage, but the plan collapses when Edith rejects the substitute.

Key Events

• Home Transformation — Joe and Nora marry and convert the entire house into a nursery for the infant. Characters: Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Home
• Goodhue Return — The Goodhues return from California to find the couple married and occupying their home. Characters: Edith Goodhue Location: Home
• Refusal to Surrender — Joe and Nora firmly refuse to give up the baby to the Goodhues despite their claims. Characters: Joe Garvin, Nora, Edith Goodhue Location: Nursery
• Orphanage Search — Alan frantically sends Joe to a local orphanage to find a replacement baby. Characters: Alan Camp, Joe Garvin Location: Orphanage
• Replacement Rejection — Edith rejects the orphanage baby, causing Alan to despair over his failed experiment. Characters: Edith Goodhue, Joe Garvin Location: Home

The Unexpected Resolution

Facing the failure of his experiment, Alan prepares to dismantle the nursery. However, Edith's sudden pregnancy announcement renders the entire eugenics project obsolete, allowing the new family to remain intact.

Key Events

• Replacement Rejection — Edith rejects the orphanage baby, causing Alan to despair over his failed experiment. Characters: Edith Goodhue, Joe Garvin Location: Home
• Nursery Dismantling — Alan decides to dismantle the nursery and formally end the eugenics project. Characters: Alan Camp Location: Nursery
• Edith's Pregnancy Announcement — Edith announces she is pregnant, rendering the entire eugenics scheme obsolete. Characters: Edith Goodhue Location: Home
• Experiment Abandoned — Alan abandons his eugenics theories as his sister's natural fertility is restored. Characters: Alan Camp Location: Study
• New Family Unit — Joe and Nora remain with their biological child in the transformed home. Characters: Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Nursery
• Theoretical Failure — Alan's eugenics theories are proven impractical by the emotional reality of the situation. Characters: Alan Camp Location: Study
• Contract Termination — All financial and contractual obligations are officially voided due to Edith's pregnancy. Characters: Alan Camp, Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Home
• Natural Resolution — The story concludes with both families moving forward through natural means rather than science. Characters: Edith Goodhue, Joe Garvin, Nora Location: Home

Story Breakdown

• Eugenics Scheme Setup — Alan Camp establishes his scientific framework and identifies his sister's infertility as the primary motivation for the experiment.
  • Scientific Ambition — Alan publishes his book to validate his eugenics theories.
  • Infertility Motivation — Edith's years of frustration drive the need for a solution.
  • Contractual Agreement — A $15,000 financial deal is structured for the biological parents.
• Biological Experimentation — The selected participants undergo the gestation process while the intended adoptive parents temporarily remove themselves from the environment.
  • Participant Selection — Joe and Nora are chosen based on their domestic employment roles.
  • California Departure — The Goodhues leave to provide privacy for the conception phase.
  • Conception Phase — Nora successfully carries the child as planned by the contract.
• Emotional Transformation — The artificial arrangement shifts as Joe and Nora develop genuine romantic feelings, altering their commitment to the original plan.
  • Unplanned Romance — Joe and Nora fall in love during the year-long gestation period.
  • Contract Defiance — The couple decides to keep the baby and reject the financial terms.
  • Domestic Transformation — Joe and Nora marry and convert the house into a nursery.
• Return and Confrontation — The Goodhues return to discover the changed domestic situation, leading to immediate conflict over custody of the child.
  • Shocking Discovery — The Goodhues find the couple married and occupying their home.
  • Refusal to Surrender — Joe and Nora defend their parental rights against the adoptive claims.
  • Orphanage Desperation — Alan sends Joe to an orphanage to secure a replacement infant.
• Experimental Collapse — The scientific plan unravels completely as the replacement baby is rejected and the nursery is ordered to be dismantled.
  • Rejected Substitute — Edith refuses to accept the orphanage baby, breaking the contract.
  • Project Abandonment — Alan orders the nursery dismantled as the experiment fails.
  • Theoretical Failure — Scientific control proves impossible against natural human emotion.
• Natural Resolution — An unexpected biological development renders the entire eugenics project obsolete, allowing both families to move forward naturally.
  • Sudden Pregnancy — Edith announces her own pregnancy, solving the original problem.
  • Scheme Obsolete — The eugenics experiment is officially terminated without further conflict.
  • Family Preservation — Joe and Nora retain custody of their biological child in the home.

Directed by

Frank Craven, Richard Rosson

Key Cast

• Frank Craven — Alan Camp
• Sally Blane — Nora
• Hugh Trevor — Joe Garvin
• Olive Tell — Marion Green
• Allen Kearns — Gilbert Goodhue