Character Relationship Map: Cross-Examination

Characters

• Gerald Waring (played by H.B. Warner) — protagonist
• David Wells (played by Don Dillaway) — protagonist
• Emory Wells (played by William V. Mong) — supporting
• Grace Varney (played by Sally Blane) — supporting
• Inez Wells (played by Natalie Moorhead) — supporting
• Dwight Simpson (played by Edmund Breese) — minor
• Judge Hollister (played by Wilfred Lucas) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Judge Hollister → Gerald Waring (Professional Court Authority) — Presiding judge over the trial
• Grace Varney → Gerald Waring (Romantic Love Interest) — Potential romantic connection with Waring
• Inez Wells → David Wells (Family Stepmother) — Inez is David's stepmother
• Gerald Waring → David Wells (Professional Defense Attorney) — Waring defends David against murder charges
• Emory Wells → Inez Wells (Family Husband) — Married couple
• David Wells → Emory Wells (Family Son) — David is accused of murdering his father

Story Dynamics

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

• Dwight Simpson → Gerald Waring (Conflict Prosecutor) — Opposing counsel in the trial

Story Analysis

A courtroom drama where a defense attorney fights to prove his client innocent of patricide

Plot Progression

1. The Accusation — David stands accused of murdering his father, with mounting evidence against him.
2. The Defense — Waring begins his meticulous cross-examinations to uncover the truth.
3. The Revelation — Waring's investigation leads to the shocking truth about the real killer.