Character Relationship Map: Practically Yours

Characters

• Daniel Bellamy (played by Fred MacMurray) — protagonist

  A young pilot presumed dead after a crash-bombing mission who returns home. He initially maintains a pretense regarding a supposed secret love for his colleague to avoid embarrassment, but eventually...

• Peggy Martin (played by Claudette Colbert) — protagonist

  Daniel's office colleague. Due to a typographical error in transcribing his final words, she is mistakenly believed to be the object of his secret love, making her the focal point of the resulting com...

• Albert W. Beagell (played by Gil Lamb) — supporting
• Marvin P. Meglin (played by Cecil Kellaway) — supporting
• Judge Robert Simpson (played by Robert Benchley) — supporting
• Commander Harry Harpe (played by Tom Powers) — supporting
• Jane Frazee - Vocalist (played by Jane Frazee) — minor
• Ellen Macy (played by Rosemary DeCamp) — minor
• LaCrosse (played by Mikhail Rasumny) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Judge Robert Simpson → Daniel Bellamy (Professional Authority Figure) — Judge Simpson has some authority over Daniel
• Albert W. Beagell → Daniel Bellamy (Professional Colleague) — Albert works with Daniel
• Daniel Bellamy → Commander Harry Harpe (Professional Subordinate) — Dan is under Commander Harpe's command in the military
• Daniel Bellamy → Peggy Martin (Professional Coworker) — Peggy worked in Dan's office

Story Dynamics

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

• Daniel Bellamy → Marvin P. Meglin (Social Friend) — They are friends or colleagues
• Peggy Martin → Jane Frazee - Vocalist (Social Acquaintance) — Peggy knows Jane
• Daniel Bellamy → Albert W. Beagell (Social Friend) — They are friends or colleagues
• Peggy Martin → Judge Robert Simpson (Social Acquaintance) — Peggy knows Judge Simpson
• Daniel Bellamy → Judge Robert Simpson (Social Acquaintance) — They know each other socially
• Peggy Martin → Albert W. Beagell (Social Friend) — They are friends or colleagues
• Daniel Bellamy → LaCrosse (Social Friend) — They are friends or acquaintances
• Daniel Bellamy → Ellen Macy (Social Friend) — They are friends or acquaintances
• Daniel Bellamy → Jane Frazee - Vocalist (Social Acquaintance) — They know each other socially

Story Analysis

A mistaken transcription turns Daniel's reminiscence about his dog into a supposed love story, and his attempt to avoid embarrassment prolongs the comic misunderstanding.

Plot Progression

1. A Mission Presumed Fatal — Daniel crash-bombs an enemy aircraft carrier and is presumed dead. Footage of his final reminiscence is sent home.
2. A Heroic Misreading — A typographical error alters the meaning of Daniel's words and turns them into a tribute. Peggy is assumed to be the woman he secretly loved.
3. The Return and the Pretence — Daniel returns home alive and realizes the story has been misunderstood. To avoid embarrassment, he tries to maintain the supposed romance.
4. The Truth About Piggy — Comical mishaps follow as Daniel keeps up the pretense. He eventually reveals that Piggy was his dog, resolving the central misunderstanding.