Character Relationship Map: Kitty

Characters

• Kitty (played by Paulette Goddard) — protagonist

  Main protagonist. Starts as a poor thief in 1783 London, gains attention from painter Thomas Gainsborough, and becomes the ward of Lady Susan Dowitt. She marries Jonathan Selby to save Sir Hugh Marcy...

• Sir Hugh Marcy (played by Ray Milland) — protagonist

  Former Foreign Office official who becomes impoverished. He takes Kitty under his aunt's care, falls in love with her, and is rescued from debtors' prison through her marriage to Jonathan Selby. Despi...

• Brett Harwood Earl of Carstairs (played by Patric Knowles) — supporting

  Hugh's close friend who becomes engaged to Kitty. He acts as a respectful gentleman and willingly steps aside to allow Hugh and Kitty to reunite, facilitating their ultimate happiness.

• Duke of Malmunster (played by Reginald Owen) — supporting

  Aristocrat who purchases Gainsborough's portrait and trades a Foreign Office reinstatement for an introduction to Kitty. He marries Kitty, announces a pregnancy (fathered by Selby), and dies after the...

• Thomas Gainsborough (played by Cecil Kellaway) — supporting

  Renowned painter who catches Kitty pickpocketing him. Amused, he hires her to pose for a portrait titled The Anonymous Lady, which becomes a sensation and is eventually purchased by the Duke of Malmun...

• Jonathan Selby (played by Dennis Hoey) — supporting

  Wealthy industrialist who marries Kitty using her dowry specifically to bail Hugh out of debtors' prison. He becomes abusive, beating Kitty when she tries to secure funds, and ultimately dies after be...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Kitty → Brett Harwood Earl of Carstairs (Romantic Engaged Partners) — Their engagement prompts Hugh to recognize his true love for Kitty.

  Kitty becomes engaged to the Earl of Carstairs.

• Kitty → Jonathan Selby (Romantic Marriage Of Convenience) — Kitty enters the marriage primarily to rescue Hugh.

  Kitty charms the wealthy industrialist into marriage and uses her dowry to free Hugh from debtors' prison.

• Kitty → Duke of Malmunster (Romantic Arranged Spouses) — Their marriage is driven by social and professional calculation rather than Kitty's love.

  Kitty agrees to marry the Duke so that Hugh can reclaim his career.

• Duke of Malmunster → Thomas Gainsborough (Professional Patron And Artist) — The Duke's purchase of the portrait connects the painting to Kitty's aristocratic rise.

  The Duke buys Gainsborough's portrait of Kitty and asks the painter about the model.

• Sir Hugh Marcy → Duke of Malmunster (Professional Political Bargain) — The Duke's influence over Hugh's career becomes part of the marriage strategy surrounding Kitty.

  The Duke offers to have Hugh reinstated in the Foreign Office in exchange for an introduction to Kitty.

• Kitty → Sir Hugh Marcy (Romantic Love Interest) — Their mutual but repeatedly obstructed love forms the emotional core of the story.

  Kitty develops an attraction for Hugh, later says that she married twice out of love for him, and they affirm their mutual devotion at the end.

• Kitty → Thomas Gainsborough (Professional Model And Painter) — Gainsborough's portrait of Kitty transforms her public identity and changes her social prospects.

  Gainsborough catches Kitty picking his pocket, then pays her to sit for a portrait.

Story Dynamics

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

• Sir Hugh Marcy → Brett Harwood Earl of Carstairs (Social Close Friends) — Carstairs' loyalty to Hugh ultimately influences the romantic resolution.

  The Earl of Carstairs is identified as Hugh's close friend.

Story Analysis

A poor thief rises through portraiture and strategic marriages while seeking genuine love beneath a world of social and financial bargains.

Plot Progression

1. A Thief Becomes A Portrait — Kitty is caught stealing from Gainsborough but receives an unexpected opportunity to sit for him. The portrait attracts attention and brings her into Hugh's social orbit.
2. The Price Of An Introduction — The Anonymous Lady becomes a sensation and the Duke purchases it. Hugh uses Kitty's identity in a bargain linking the Duke's influence to Hugh's lost career.
3. Marriage For Hugh's Freedom — Kitty falls for Hugh, who is imprisoned for debt. She marries Jonathan Selby and spends her dowry to secure Hugh's release, but financial trouble returns.
4. Violence And Sudden Fortune — Kitty tries to use Selby's strongbox to solve the renewed crisis and suffers his violence. Selby's death leaves Kitty with a large fortune.
5. Love Behind The Bargains — Kitty marries the Duke for Hugh's career and inherits immense wealth after his death. Hugh's later marriage plans fail until Carstairs' engagement forces him to acknowledge his love.