Character Relationship Map: Spellbound

Characters

• Dr. Constance Petersen (played by Ingrid Bergman) — protagonist

  A psychoanalyst at Green Manors mental hospital who falls in love with the new director. She discovers he is an impostor suffering from amnesia, helps him recover his memories through dream analysis,...

• John Ballantine (played by Gregory Peck) — protagonist

  An amnesiac impostor who assumes the identity of Dr. Anthony Edwardes. He suffers from a guilt complex and a phobia of parallel lines. With Petersen's help, he recovers his past, learns he accidentall...

• Dr. Murchison (played by Leo G. Carroll) — supporting

  The former director of Green Manors who returns to his position. He secretly harbored a grudge against Dr. Edwardes, murdered him on a ski slope, and attempts to kill Petersen when confronted. He ulti...

• Dr. Alexander Brulov (played by Michael Chekhov) — supporting

  Petersen's former mentor and friend who hosts the couple in Rochester. He assists in interpreting the impostor's dream, which provides crucial clues to solving the mystery.

• John Ballantine's Brother (uncredited) (played by Teddy Infuhr) — cameo

Canonical Relationships

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

• John Ballantine's Brother (uncredited) → John Ballantine (brother)
• Dr. Constance Petersen → Dr. Alexander Brulov (Professional Former Student) — Brulov previously guided Petersen in psychoanalysis.

  The plot identifies Brulov as Petersen's former mentor.

• Dr. Constance Petersen → Dr. Murchison (Professional Colleague) — They are connected through the administration and medical work of Green Manors.

  Both work at Green Manors, where Murchison is the director and Petersen is a psychoanalyst.

Story Analysis

A psychoanalyst uses love, dream interpretation, and psychological insight to uncover a hidden murder.

Plot Progression

1. Romance Behind the Mask — Petersen works at Green Manors and falls for the young replacement director. His unusual phobia and mismatched signature reveal that he is an impostor.
2. The Vanishing Impostor — The impostor confesses his amnesia and disappears. Petersen finds him in New York and persuades him to pursue psychoanalytic treatment.
3. Dreams Point North — At Brulov's home, the analysts interpret a disturbing dream involving cards, masks, a falling man, and wings. Their conclusions lead them to a ski lodge.
4. Memory on the Slopes — The ski reconstruction awakens memories of a childhood accident and the fatal mountain incident. The amnesiac man remembers his identity but is then convicted after the body is found.
5. The Revolver Revealed — Petersen returns to Green Manors and recognizes Murchison in the dream's masked figure. Murchison threatens her with the revolver, then kills himself when his crime is exposed.