I Like Your Nerve 1931

Romance

Comedy

Runtime

62 mins

Language

English

Directed by

William C. McGann

Made by

First National Pictures

Test your knowledge of I Like Your Nerve with our quiz!

I Like Your Nerve Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for I Like Your Nerve (1931). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In Latin America, Larry O’Brien spots Diane Forsythe and falls for her at first sight, a lively romance that unfolds against a backdrop of political tension. She, however, is betrothed to the much older Clive Lattimer, a wealthy figure whose ambitions hinge on winning her hand. Larry quickly learns that her motive isn’t romance alone but a desperate bid to shield her stepfather, Areal Pacheco, the Minister of Finance, who has secretly embezzled $200,000 from the treasury and faces an impending audit. Lattimer, rich and powerful, is willing to cover the shortfall if he can seal the engagement.

To keep Larry from derailing the arrangement, Pacheco orders his loyal butler, Luigi, to arrange Diane’s kidnapping and spirit her away to Lattimer’s country estate. Larry acts fast, rescuing Diane and entrusting her to his friend, Archie Lester, before turning his attention to the political game at hand. He then phones a newspaper to announce a bold ransom demand of $200,000, triggering a wave of public scrutiny and outcry. Citizens insist that Pacheco must pay, while Larry points out that only Diane’s fiancé would have access to that much money. Lattimer, initially resistant, caves under the mounting pressure and the fear of losing face.

The climax unfolds as Larry retrieves the money at the arranged drop-off and delivers it to Pacheco, a move that exposes the manipulation and shifts the balance of power surrounding Diane’s future. In the aftermath, Pacheco cancels Diane’s engagement to Lattimer, restoring a measure of autonomy to her and closing the loop on a plot that blended romance, financial scandal, and daring deception. Across the sun-drenched Latin American setting, the story threads together romance, risk, and a sharp look at how power can bend motives.

I Like Your Nerve Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of I Like Your Nerve (1931) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Larry O'Brien spots Diane Forsythe and falls in love

In Latin America, Larry O'Brien spots Diane Forsythe and is instantly smitten. He discovers she is engaged to the much older Clive Lattimer, which creates an obstacle to their romance. This first encounter sets the plot in motion.

Latin America

Diane's motive revealed

Diane's motive for entering the arrangement is revealed: she hopes to save her stepfather, Areal Pacheco, the Minister of Finance, who has embezzled $200,000 from the treasury. An impending audit threatens exposure and jeopardizes the family’s finances. Her actions are driven by a desperate effort to protect him.

Latin America

Embezzlement and looming audit

Pacheco is implicated in embezzling $200,000 from the national treasury, and an audit is imminent. The scandal looms large over the government and Diane's engagement. The pressure heightens the stakes for all involved.

National treasury

Pacheco orders the kidnapping

To prevent Larry from interfering with the arrangement, Pacheco has his butler Luigi arrange Diane's kidnapping and move her to Clive Lattimer's country estate. The plan is designed to create a ransom scenario that forces Diane's hand. The move shows how far Pacheco will go to protect his interests.

Lattimer's country estate

Diane is kidnapped

Diane is abducted and held by Luigi, then transported toward the country estate. The kidnapping demonstrates the reach of Pacheco's scheme and places Diane in direct danger. The event compels Larry to take decisive action.

Lattimer's country estate

Larry rescues Diane

Larry coordinates a rescue and successfully frees Diane, after which he leaves her in the care of his friend Archie Lester for protection. The rescue marks a turning point as Diane escapes immediate danger. The act also deepens Larry's commitment to her situation.

Near the estate

Ransom demand goes to the press

Larry phones a newspaper to report his ransom demand of $200,000. The publicized demand is intended to pressure Pacheco and mobilize public opinion against the embezzlement. The move drags the drama into the national spotlight.

Newspaper office

Public outrage demands payment

Citizens across the country demand that Pacheco pay the sum, leveraging the scandal to force action. The outrage adds political pressure and complicates Pacheco's position. The country watches the case unfold with heightened scrutiny.

Nationwide

Larry reveals the money source

Larry points out that Diane's fiancé, Clive Lattimer, is the only person with access to such funds. This revelation reframes the crisis and shifts attention toward Lattimer and the true power behind the scheme. Public perception starts to align with the truth.

Public setting

Lattimer caves to pressure

Lattimer initially refuses to pay but soon caves in to the mounting outrage. His resistance collapses under the weight of public scrutiny and the sense that a just outcome is required. The financial pressure forces him to reconsider.

Lattimer's residence

Drop-off money is arranged

Larry heads to the designated ransom drop-off point to collect the money. The exchange is coordinated to appear legitimate while advancing the plan to trap Pacheco. The moment marks a crucial step toward resolution.

Drop-off point

Money delivered to Pacheco

Larry delivers the $200,000 to Pacheco, enabling him to resolve the crisis. Pacheco then cancels Diane's engagement to Lattimer, ending the immediate obstacle to their relationship. The scheme reaches its culmination as justice seems to prevail.

Pacheco's office

Resolution

With the payment completed, the crisis is resolved: Diane's engagement is cancelled and the immediate danger subsides. The film closes on the note that the truth has prevailed, and Diane's future is left open for the consequences of the ruse.

Minister of Finance's office

I Like Your Nerve Characters

Explore all characters from I Like Your Nerve (1931). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Diane Forsythe (Loretta Young)

Diane is engaged to the wealthy Clive Lattimer but motivated to save her stepfather, Areal Pacheco, from being shot. Her actions show resourcefulness and a willingness to navigate dangerous political and romantic entanglements. She becomes a focal point of Larry's affection and the film's moral dilemma about loyalty and self-interest.

💃 Romance 🔎 Motivated 🕊️ Loyal

Larry O'Brien (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)

Larry is quick to fall in love and quicker to take bold action. He stages a fake ransom and orchestrates a public demand to pressure the embezzler into a concession. His daring, charm, and willingness to bend rules propel the rescue and resolution.

💪 Hero 💡 Clever 🗺️ Strategic

Clive Lattimer (Edmund Breon)

A very wealthy fiancé who initially offers money to cover the shortfall but is susceptible to pride and pressure from public outrage. His eventual capitulation to the ransom plan reveals a pragmatic but calculating personality.

💎 Wealth 🗺️ Calculating 🕰️ Power

Areal Pacheco (Henry Kolker)

Minister of Finance who has embezzled funds and schemes to protect his fortune. His involvement with the kidnapping and the financial audacity creates the central conflict of the plot. He relies on loyalty from his household to maintain his cover.

🏛️ Power 💰 Corruption 🧩 Scheming

Luigi (Boris Karloff)

Pacheco's butler who arranges Diane's kidnapping. His role showcases the frailty and ruthlessness of the figurehead behind a political scheme. He embodies the deception that fuels the plot's tension.

🕵️‍♂️ Conniving 🎭 Servant 💼 Loyal

Archie Lester (Claud Allister)

Larry's friend who takes care of Diane after the rescue. He serves as a steady ally and a refuge from the chaos, representing trust and loyalty amid the turmoil. His involvement helps move the plan toward its resolution.

🤝 Ally ✨ Steady 🕯️ Support

I Like Your Nerve Settings

Learn where and when I Like Your Nerve (1931) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Latin America, Lattimer's country estate

Latin America serves as the backdrop where political and personal stakes collide. The setting shifts to Clive Lattimer's country estate, a symbol of wealth and influence. These locations highlight the tension between public power and private loyalties.

🗺️ Latin America 🏰 Estate

I Like Your Nerve Themes

Discover the main themes in I Like Your Nerve (1931). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💘

Love vs Duty

Romance collides with social obligation as Larry pursues Diane despite her engagement. Diane's motive to protect her stepfather adds moral complexity to the relationship. The dilemma tests whether love should override loyalty to family and social contracts. The outcome hinges on trust and the willingness to take risks.

🕵️‍♂️

Deception and Rescue

A kidnapping orchestrated by a powerful figure's servant sparks a high-stakes chase. Larry's ruse—demanding ransom—drives the plot and reveals who can be trusted. The plan relies on wit, timing, and the courage to intervene against entrenched power. The rescue emphasizes quick thinking over brute force.

💰

Corruption and Money

Embezzlement by a high-ranking official exposes corruption at the top of the system. Wealth and influence shape characters' choices and create a moral gray area. Public outrage becomes a lever that forces accountability. The resolution centers on recovering funds and reasserting integrity.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

I Like Your Nerve Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of I Like Your Nerve (1931). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a fictional Central American republic where political power and personal ambition intertwine, Larry O’Brien arrives with little more than charm, confidence, and a knack for finding trouble. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. brings effortless wit to the role of a roguish playboy whose eye for adventure is matched only by his eye for romance. The sun-drenched setting hums with energy, a backdrop where old-world formality meets the unpredictability of a nation on edge.

Across a crowded room, Larry’s attention locks onto Diane Forsythe, a striking young woman whose poise conceals secrets she cannot afford to reveal. Loretta Young imbues Diane with a quiet intensity, a woman navigating expectations that extend far beyond matters of the heart. But Larry is hardly the only man with designs on her future. A powerful older figure looms in the shadows of her life, his influence woven into the fabric of local politics—and Diane’s hand may be the price of his protection.

Her stepfather, Areal Pacheco, presides over the nation’s treasury as Minister of Finance, a position that places him at the center of whispers and wary glances. Henry Kolker’s portrayal hints at a man whose authority is as fragile as it is formidable. The atmosphere thickens as rumors of financial impropriety and looming audits drift through the capital. Boris Karloff, cast against type as a dutiful secretary, moves quietly through this world, adding an unexpected layer of intrigue to the edges of the frame.

What begins as flirtation soon finds itself entangled in something far larger—a game where reputation, leverage, and calculated risk-taking collide. Larry must decide whether his boldness is merely reckless charm or the very quality that might shift the balance of power. In a story that balances lighthearted romance with the weight of political machination, the question becomes whether nerve alone is enough to challenge a system built on silence and obligation.

Can’t find your movie? Request a summary here.

Movies with Similar Twists and Themes

Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.