Breakfast for Two 1937
Directed by
Edmund Mortimer
Made by
RKO Radio Pictures
Breakfast for Two Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Breakfast for Two (1937). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
After a night of revelry in town, the idle playboy Jonathan Blair wakes to find Valentine Ransome sleeping in his mansion, with only hazy fragments of the night to guide him. Valentine is drawn to the charming, restless young man and sets out to reform him and eventually marry him, explaining to her horse-breaking uncle Sam that she intends to “slip a bit in his mouth and make him like it.”
slip a bit in his mouth and make him like it
Valentine’s arrival kicks off a clash between romance and business. Jonathan discovers that his neglected family shipping firm is teetering on the edge of disaster, and that his usual checks will not be arriving. With a sly, calculating purpose, Valentine buys up controlling interest in the company and moves into Jonathan’s home as the new tenant. When he learns who owns the mansion now, he jumps to the conclusion that she merely aimed to pry into the firm’s affairs, and he bursts with anger, vowing to fight to reclaim control. Later, in a more candid moment with his loyal valet Butch, he admits that he feels beaten, since no one will lend him the money he needs. Butch, who is sympathetic to Valentine, fills her in on the extent of Jonathan’s troubles.
Valentine presses her advantage by elevating Jonathan to vice president, yet he soon comes to a different task at hand: Carol Wallace, his girlfriend, has asked him to marry her, and he has accepted. The plan launches into a chaotic comedy of interruptions as Valentine attempts to derail the ceremony, aided by a noisy troupe of window washers and presided over by a steadily more frustrated Justice of the Peace. The hush of the moment is shattered when Sam Ransome bursts in, declaring that Carol is the mother of his children, and the wedding is halted in a whirl of confusion. One of the guests, Mr. Meggs, recognizes Sam and brings the truth to light, giving Jonathan a renewed edge to move forward.
The following day, Jonathan presents a bold plan to the firm’s receivership board to turn the company around. The board votes to back his strategy, and control of the business returns to him. Valentine, delighted by his energy and drive, believes the path to their future is clear—until Jonathan drops the bomb that the wedding with Carol is back on. In a desperate move, Butch forges a marriage certificate declaring Valentine and Jonathan as husband and wife, which sends Carol running in a huff.
As the deception unravels, Valentine doubles down on the masquerade, much to Jonathan’s discomfort. When Butch finally confesses the truth to Jonathan, the balance shifts once more. Valentine flees the scene in a flurry, but at the train station, a hard-won understanding brings them back together, and the pair decide to marry for real, sealing their bond with a quiet, shared resolve to face the future side by side.
Breakfast for Two Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Breakfast for Two (1937) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Mornings wake of an unexpected guest
Jonathan Blair wakes up in his mansion after a night of carousing to find Valentine Ransome still there. He remembers little from the previous night and has no idea who his guest is. Valentine uses the moment to begin steering his life toward reform and romance.
Valentine seizes control: business and home
Valentine announces she intends to reform Blair and then marry him. She buys controlling interest in the family shipping firm and moves into Blair's home as the new tenant, effectively taking charge. This gives her leverage over his business and personal life.
Blair learns who owns the company
Blair learns the owner of the company is Valentine, and he misreads her motive, thinking she pursued him only to learn about the business. He nurses a resentful pride, convinced she is using him.
Blair vows to fight for the company, but is blocked
Blair declares he will fight to regain control of the company, but Butch tells him money is not available to finance such a fight. Blair realizes he is financially blocked and seemingly defeated.
Valentine makes Blair vice president
Valentine elevates Blair to vice president, turning his ambition into a concrete opportunity. She watches to see if he will seize the chance to prove himself.
Blair agrees to marry Carol Wallace
That afternoon Blair learns that his girlfriend, actress Carol Wallace, has asked him to marry her, and he accepts. The prospect of marriage adds a personal victory to his professional rising status.
Valentine disrupts the wedding
Valentine tries to disrupt the wedding with help from noisy window washers and an increasingly frustrated Justice of the Peace. Her efforts create comic chaos as the ceremony looms toward chaos.
Sam declares Carol is the mother
Sam Ransome bursts in and declares that Carol is the mother of his children, causing the ceremony to falter. The wedding is immediately interrupted as guests react with shock.
Meggs reveals Sam's identity
Mr. Meggs recognizes Sam and informs Jonathan, confirming that the wedding cannot proceed under the current scandal. The ceremony is off and Blair must regroup.
Board approves Jonathan's plan
The next day, Blair outlines a bold plan to the firm's receivership board to restore the company. The board votes to back his strategy and returns control of the business to him.
Forged certificate muddying the waters
Butch brings a forged marriage certificate showing Valentine and Jonathan as husband and wife, muddying the waters and intensifying the complication. The act deepens the confusion around their relationship.
Carol leaves in frustration
Carol leaves in a huff, unable to tolerate the messy deception. The emotional fallout leaves Blair to reassess his situation.
Butch informs Valentine of the deception
Butch informs Valentine of the deception, and she continues the masquerade, much to Jonathan's discomfort. The pretense persists as tensions rise.
A real wedding at the train station
Butch finally confesses the truth to Jonathan, turning the tables. At the train station, Jonathan and Valentine reconcile and marry for real, ending the farce on a hopeful note.
Breakfast for Two Characters
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Jonathan Blair (Herbert Marshall)
A neglected shipping firm heir who loses his regular income and becomes a target for Valentine’s schemes. He starts off proud and impulsive, then grows into a more calculating player who fights to save the company. By the end he pursues a real match with Valentine, culminating in marriage.
Valentine Ransome (Barbara Stanwyck)
A Texan with sharp charm who uses romance to gain control of Jonathan’s company. She first reforms him to win power, then leverages that influence toward marriage and financial advantage. Her plans drive the plot toward a real emotional payoff.
Carol Wallace (Glenda Farrell)
Jonathan’s actress girlfriend who stands in the way of Valentine’s schemes. She resents the meddling and resists the upheaval in her relationship with Jonathan. She exits the story during the deception, and the final union is resolved between Jonathan and Valentine.
Butch (Eric Blore)
Jonathan’s valet who supports Valentine’s plan and throws in with the deception. He supplies crucial information to Valentine and engineers the forged marriage certificate, contributing to the plot’s twists and reversals.
Sam Ransome (Frank M. Thomas)
Valentine’s horse-breaking uncle who reveals that Carol is the mother of his future children. He acts as a catalyst for the reveal of the truth that drives the finale.
Mr. Meggs (Etienne Girardot)
A sharp observer who identifies Sam and informs Jonathan about the deception. He contributes to the unraveling of the masquerade and the turning points of the plot.
Justice of the Peace (Donald Meek)
The official presiding over the wedding disruption, whose mounting frustration with the chaotic ceremony adds comic propulsion to the story.
Breakfast for Two Settings
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Time period
1930s
Set during the Great Depression era, the story weaves romance with financial peril as the shipping firm teeters on receivership. The period fuels social foibles, bold schemes, and quick reversals that are emblematic of the era's lighthearted, fast-paced comedies. The era's economic tensions shape character decisions and plot twists.
Location
Texas, USA; Jonathan Blair's Mansion; Blair Shipping Offices
The film centers on Jonathan Blair's grand Texas mansion where social whimsy and wedding chaos erupt. The Blair Shipping Offices provide the business backdrop for the company's precarious finances and boardroom maneuvering. The setting blends private life with public industry, a hallmark of 1930s screwball comedies.
Breakfast for Two Themes
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💘
Romance
Love acts as a catalyst for change, blurring lines between affection and manipulation. Valentine uses charm to steer Jonathan toward ambition, while genuine feelings complicate their power dynamic. The plot tracks how romance can both destabilize and ultimately realign relationships.
💼
Ambition
Jonathan is drawn from his carefree posture into strategic action to save the company, propelled by Valentine’s influence. The film follows bold moves, boardroom schemes, and the drive to regain control of a faltering business. Ambition drives the tension and drives the comedic resolutions.
🕵️
Deception
Masquerades, forged documents, and misread motives drive the plot and create comic tension. Valentine and Butch manipulate appearances to steer outcomes, while others uncover the truth at key moments. The deceptions culminate in a reversal that reshapes the relationships.
Breakfast for Two Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the glittering twilight of a bustling town, a night of revelry spills into the quiet opulence of a sprawling mansion. The atmosphere is tinged with the lingering echo of champagne, the soft clatter of high‑society chatter, and the faint promise of something unexpected waiting just beyond the polished doors. It is a world where wealth and whimsy intersect, setting the stage for a story that balances romance with a dash of reckless charm.
Jonathan Blair awakens to a bewildering scene: the handsome, idle heir to a once‑flourishing shipping empire finds a striking stranger occupying his guest bedroom. A playboy with a reputation for carefree living, he carries the weight of a family business teetering on the brink of hardship, a fact that shadows his otherwise carefree demeanor. His world is one of inherited privilege, peppered with the anxiety of financial uncertainty that he prefers to ignore in favor of leisure and good looks.
Enter Valentine Ransome, a flamboyant Texan whose confidence and boldness are as unmistakable as the silks she wears. Drawn irresistibly to Jonathan’s restless spirit, she arrives with a clear, if unconventional, agenda: to steer him away from his reckless ways, to rescue his near‑bankrupt shipping firm, and ultimately to share a future together. Her presence brings a lively contrast to the mansion’s genteel confines, infusing the story with a lively, screwball energy that hints at both heartfelt possibility and comedic chaos.
Yet the couple’s budding plans quickly encounter a familiar obstacle in the form of Carol Wallace, Jonathan’s poised and determined actress fiancée. Her arrival adds another layer of intrigue, suggesting a playful tug‑of‑war between duty, desire, and the unpredictable nature of love. The tension between these three characters promises a witty, romantic dance set against the backdrop of high society and looming business woes, inviting the audience to wonder just how far each will go to rewrite their destinies.
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