The Women in His Life 1933
Made by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Women in His Life Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Women in His Life (1933). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Famed criminal lawyer Kent ‘Barry’ Barringer, Otto Kruger, is a slick, charming attorney with a cynical view of justice and love. While romancing Molly, Muriel Evans, he takes a quick break to win a case—getting a clearly guilty man acquitted—and dismisses the client’s gratitude to God, insisting he deserves the credit. Barry returns to his playboy lifestyle, juggling women, including nightclub girl Cathy, Isabel Jewell, who finds a photo in his desk of a mysterious woman. Barry explains it’s his ex-wife, kept as a reminder that love is a lie.
Meanwhile, young Doris Worthing, Irene Hervey, desperately seeks Barry’s help—her father, Thomas J. Worthing, Samuel S. Hinds, is on trial for murdering her mother. Barry’s junior partner, Roger McKane, Ben Lyon, sympathizes and tries to involve Barry, but Barry initially refuses, calling it an ordinary case. Doris sees Barry’s client, Mrs. Florence Steele, later revealed as Madame Celeste, who runs a Times Square lingerie shop, and recognizes her as the same woman behind the shopfront. Barry sends Doris to track her down, intrigued by the resemblance.
At trial, Barry orchestrates a courtroom stunt: Madame Celeste impersonates Mrs. Steele on the stand, confusing witnesses and leading to Mrs. Steele’s acquittal. Despite his courtroom brilliance, Barry remains emotionally distant and prepares to leave for Florida with Cathy. Before he goes, he coldly compares her to his unfaithful ex-wife, revealing the woman in the photo is his ex-wife.
Back in New York, Roger and Barry’s assistant Lester, Roscoe Karns, investigate Doris’s case. They discover Doris’s mother had multiple affairs and might’ve been involved with a racketeer named Tony Perez, C. Henry Gordon, but the lead dries up. Barry returns from Florida, worn out and drunk. When Roger shows him a photo of Doris’s murdered mother, Barry is stunned—it’s his ex-wife. Overwhelmed, he visits her grave and breaks down, admitting he still loved her.
Barry spirals into alcoholism. Doris’s father’s trial proceeds without him, and Roger loses the case. Thomas is sentenced to death. When Barry wakes up in the hospital after mostly recovering from pneumonia he learns the news and is wracked with guilt. He confesses the truth to Doris and Roger: her mother was his ex-wife, and her death shattered him. Although the trial seems airtight, Barry learns that Perez was romantically involved with Doris’s mother six months before she married Thomas—a potential motive.
Attempting redemption, Barry swears off drinking but relapses. Roger, disgusted, quits and threatens to report him to the Bar Association. Disbarred and disgraced, Barry teams up with Cathy to entrap Perez. Using his legal knowledge and underworld connections, Barry devises a sting operation. Cathy pretends to be part of a heist, and Perez takes the bait. Meanwhile, Thomas is days from execution.
In a tense climax, Barry gets Perez to confess. Urgent calls are made just in time to halt the execution, and Thomas is saved.
In the final scenes, Barry reopens his law practice, reconciled with Roger. He marries Cathy, Roger marries Doris, and Lester proposes to Miss ‘Simmy’ Simmons, Una Merkel. All head off on their respective honeymoons—Florida, Bermuda, and Sheep’s Head Bay—ending the story on a hopeful note.
The Women in His Life Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Women in His Life (1933) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Barry's courtroom dominance and cynicism
In the opening, Barry Barringer glides through a case with charm, winning an acquittal for a clearly guilty man. He shrugs off the grateful thanks, insisting the credit belongs to him alone. His playboy lifestyle continues as he courts Molly and Cathy.
Molly, Cathy, and the photo
Barry juggles relationships, romancing Molly while keeping Cathy in the mix. He shows a photo of a mysterious woman, explaining she is his ex-wife and a reminder that love is a lie.
Doris Worthing seeks help
Doris Worthing begs Barry to help her father, Thomas Worthing, who is on trial for murdering her mother. Barry initially dismisses the case as ordinary, showing his habitual detachment from true justice.
Doris discovers Madame Celeste
Doris spots Mrs. Steele at a Times Square lingerie shop and realizes she is Madame Celeste. Barry sends Doris to follow and identify the elusive woman.
Courtroom stunt and acquittal
In court, Barry engineers a stunt as Madame Celeste impersonates Mrs. Steele on the stand, confusing witnesses. The tactic leads to Mrs. Steele's acquittal and demonstrates Barry's courtroom brilliance.
Florida bound with Cathy
After the trial, Barry prepares to escape to Florida with Cathy, maintaining emotional distance. He coldly tells her the woman in the photo is his ex-wife, reinforcing his belief that love is a lie.
Drunken return and revelation
Back in New York, Barry arrives in a drunken haze. Roger shows him a photo of Doris's murdered mother, which is actually Barry's ex-wife, leaving him stunned.
Grief at the grave and downfall
Overwhelmed with guilt, Barry visits his ex-wife's grave and breaks down, admitting that he still loved her. This moment triggers his descent into alcoholism.
Hospital and Thomas's death sentence
Doris's father's trial proceeds without Barry's help while Barry battles pneumonia in the hospital. He learns that Thomas Worthing has been sentenced to death and, in a painful confession, tells Doris and Roger that the mother was his ex-wife and that her death shattered him.
Perez motive revealed
Barry reveals that Tony Perez had romantic ties to Doris's mother months before she married Thomas, suggesting a possible motive. The revelation deepens the crisis and fuels Barry's guilt.
Sobriety vow and relapse
Barry vows to quit drinking in his search for redemption but relapses, prompting Roger to quit and threaten to report him to the Bar.
Disbarment and sting operation
Disbarred and desperate, Barry teams with Cathy to trap Perez, using his legal knowledge and underworld contacts to set up a sting operation.
Confession and halted execution
In a tense sequence, Barry obtains Perez's confession, and urgent calls avert the execution just in time.
Finals: practice, marriages, and honeymoons
Barry reopens his law practice and reconciles with Roger. He marries Cathy, Roger marries Doris, and Lester proposes to Simmy as they head off on honeymoons in Florida, Bermuda, and Sheep's Head Bay.
The Women in His Life Characters
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Kent 'Barry' Barringer (Otto Kruger)
A famed criminal lawyer who treats justice as a tool for personal gain. He is irresistibly charming yet emotionally distant, using his wins to justify morally questionable choices. His life unravels as guilt over his ex-wife's death and his alcoholism collide with his double life. He attempts a path to redemption through a sting operation and ultimately marries Cathy, seeking a more honest path.
Molly (Muriel Evans)
Barry's glamorous nightclub lover who embodies the city's seductive side. She becomes entangled in Barry's playboy world and serves as a contrast to his more virtuous impulses. Her relationship with Barry is complicated by his other entanglements and the consequences of his actions.
Cathy (Isabel Jewell)
A nightclub girl who discovers the photo of Barry's ex-wife and teams with him to trap Tony Perez. She is resourceful and pragmatic, ultimately becoming Barry's ally and wife. Her involvement drives the sting that aims to redeem Barry and thwart the villain.
Doris Worthing (Irene Hervey)
A young woman who seeks Barry's help to save her father from a murder charge. Her determination and trust in Barry anchor much of the courtroom drama. Her family tragedy becomes a catalyst for the story's emotional stakes and, later, a life with Roger.
Thomas J. Worthing (Samuel S. Hinds)
Doris's father, on trial for murdering his wife. The case drives the plot and exposes the vulnerabilities in Barry's professional world. His conviction heightens Barry's guilt and propels the narrative toward confession and redemption.
Roger McKane (Ben Lyon)
Barry's sympathetic junior partner who pushes for action on Doris's case and helps in investigations. He grows disillusioned with Barry's methods but remains morally steadfast, ultimately helping to shape a new, steadier life for those involved.
Madame Celeste / Mrs Steele (Irene Franklin)
Owner of a Times Square lingerie shop who operates under the alias Mrs Steele. She impersonates Madame Celeste to confuse witnesses in a pivotal court moment, illustrating how deception and performance influence justice.
Tony Perez (C. Henry Gordon)
A racketeer connected to Doris's mother's past and the film's central antagonist. His charm masks a dangerous criminal underworld presence, which Barry and Cathy aim to subdue through a sting operation.
Aloysius Lester (Roscoe Karns)
Barry's loyal assistant who assists in investigations and keeps the operations moving. His practicality contrasts with Barry's reckless brilliance, serving as a stabilizing force in the team.
Miss Simmy Simmons (Una Merkel)
A friend connected to the social circle who ends the story with a note of hopeful future as Lester proposes to her. She represents the ordinary people caught in the web of ambition and romance.
Judge Malone (Paul Stanton)
The presiding judge in the key trial, embodying the authority of the courtroom and the weight of legal procedure throughout the drama.
The Women in His Life Settings
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Time period
Early 1930s
Set in the early 1930s New York, the tale blends courtroom drama with a glittering social scene. The period is marked by showy performances, glamorous nightlife, and a sense of moral ambiguity in professional life. The plot hinges on a high-stakes trial, disguises, and a sting operation that tests Barry's conscience.
Location
New York City, Times Square, Sheep's Head Bay, Florida, Bermuda
New York City serves as the primary playground for Barry's schemes and moral compromises. The story moves through a courthouse, a glamorous Times Square scene, and the nightlife that skirts the edges of the law. The urban setting frames conflicts of ambition, reputation, and the lure of easy success.
The Women in His Life Themes
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Redemption
Barry's life revolves around guilt over his ex-wife's death and his own alcoholism. The narrative threads moments of confession with enduring flaws, showing redemption as a fragile, ongoing struggle. The sting against Perez offers a path toward atonement, even as personal demons threaten to pull him back. The ending suggests that truth and commitment can prevail, but only with hard-won effort.
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Justice
Justice in the story is a dynamic with moral ambiguity, where skillful manipulation sits alongside genuine legal duty. Barry's courtroom stunt—Madame Celeste impersonating Mrs. Steele—highlights the fine line between brilliance and ethics. The trial's outcome probes deeper motives and responsibilities beyond guilt or innocence. The resolution hinges on truth catching up with deception, even as it relies on cunning to save a life.
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Facade
Barry maintains a polished public persona as a suave lawyer while leading a secret life with multiple lovers. The narrative shows how appearances mask painful truths, creating shifting loyalties and risky alliances. Doris, Cathy, and Molly each reveal different facets of Barry's character and the cost of living behind a mask. Ultimately, the story argues that authenticity and trust must trump surface charm.
The Women in His Life Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the bustling legal arena of 1930s New York, a city of sharp suits and sharper gossip, the courtroom is a stage where charisma battles conscience. The film paints a world where high‑stakes trials are as much about public perception as they are about evidence, and where a lawyer’s reputation can be built—or shattered—by a single performance. The atmosphere hums with a mix of smoky jazz clubs, elegant parties, and the relentless clang of gavel‑driven ambition, setting the tone for a story that balances sleek sophistication with an undercurrent of personal doubt.
Barry Barringer, a famed criminal attorney, commands the room with effortless charm and a cynicism that extends from law to love. His success has afforded him a playboy lifestyle, a revolving door of admirers, and a reputation for turning even the most dubious defenses into victories. Yet beneath his polished exterior lies a man who treats romance as a calculated risk, keeping reminders of past heartbreak tucked away in private corners of his office. His relationships with Molly and the vibrant nightclub singer Cathy reveal a restless heart that flits between affection and detachment, while his interactions with colleagues hint at a fragile ego masked by bravado.
When a new case lands on his desk, the stakes become personal: the client’s story is tangled with a woman from Barry’s own past, the ex‑wife whose departure still reverberates through his thoughts. The situation draws in his junior partner Roger, eager to prove his own mettle, and his wily assistant Lester, whose loyalty is tested by the unfolding drama. Meanwhile, a determined young woman named Doris seeks Barry’s help, her plea pulling the seasoned lawyer deeper into a web that threatens to blur the line between professional duty and lingering sentiment.
The film swirls with sharp dialogue, a sleek visual style, and an undercurrent of melancholy that follows every charismatic smile. It explores how a man accustomed to winning cases must confront the possibility that the most challenging opponent may be his own memories, inviting the audience to wonder whether a brilliant legal mind can ever truly escape the passions it once tried to outwit.
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