The Ladies Man
After his girl leaves him for someone else, Herbert gets really depressed and starts searching for a job. He finally finds one in a big house which is inhabited by many, many women. Can he live in the same home with all these females?
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Ladies Man (1961) showcases meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Jerry Lewis's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Herbert H. Heebert graduates college as a bright-eyed romantic, eager to marry his sweetheart and start his life as a devoted husband.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Herbert discovers his girlfriend kissing another man on graduation day, shattering his romantic ideals and sending him into a misogynistic crisis.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Herbert accepts the handyman job and arrives at the mansion, only to discover it's a boarding house filled entirely with beautiful women—his worst nightmare made real., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Herbert begins to soften toward the women in the house, particularly connecting with one resident who shows him genuine kindness, suggesting his hatred was masking hurt rather than truth., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, A major misunderstanding or revelation threatens to repeat Herbert's earlier heartbreak, confirming his worst fears that opening his heart again was a mistake. He faces losing everything., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Herbert realizes that not all women are the same and that his sweeping judgment was wrong. He chooses to trust again and fight for the connections he's made, understanding that love requires risk., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Ladies Man's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Ladies Man against these established plot points, we can identify how Jerry Lewis utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Ladies Man within the comedy genre.
Jerry Lewis's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Jerry Lewis films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Ladies Man represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jerry Lewis filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jerry Lewis analyses, see The Big Mouth, The Errand Boy and The Bellboy.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Herbert H. Heebert graduates college as a bright-eyed romantic, eager to marry his sweetheart and start his life as a devoted husband.
Theme
A fellow student warns Herbert about trusting women completely, foreshadowing the theme of heartbreak and misplaced trust that will define Herbert's journey.
Worldbuilding
Establishing Herbert as a naive, woman-worshipping idealist. His romantic proposal plans and complete devotion to his girlfriend set up his vulnerable worldview.
Disruption
Herbert discovers his girlfriend kissing another man on graduation day, shattering his romantic ideals and sending him into a misogynistic crisis.
Resistance
Herbert swears off women entirely and wanders aimlessly, eventually encountering a want ad for a handyman position that explicitly states "No women." He debates taking a job that aligns with his new anti-female stance.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Herbert accepts the handyman job and arrives at the mansion, only to discover it's a boarding house filled entirely with beautiful women—his worst nightmare made real.
Mirror World
Herbert meets the motherly housemother Miss Wellenmellon, who represents a different kind of woman—nurturing and non-threatening—offering a counterpoint to his bitter generalizations.
Premise
Herbert navigates the comedic chaos of living in a house full of women while maintaining his vow of avoidance. Physical comedy and elaborate set pieces showcase his attempts to do his job while dodging female contact.
Midpoint
Herbert begins to soften toward the women in the house, particularly connecting with one resident who shows him genuine kindness, suggesting his hatred was masking hurt rather than truth.
Opposition
Herbert's defenses crumble as he forms real connections, but his fear of being hurt again creates internal conflict. External complications arise as romantic misunderstandings threaten his position at the boarding house.
Collapse
A major misunderstanding or revelation threatens to repeat Herbert's earlier heartbreak, confirming his worst fears that opening his heart again was a mistake. He faces losing everything.
Crisis
Herbert retreats into despair, wrestling with whether to return to his bitter isolation or risk vulnerability again. He processes the difference between his ex-girlfriend's betrayal and the genuine care he's received.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Herbert realizes that not all women are the same and that his sweeping judgment was wrong. He chooses to trust again and fight for the connections he's made, understanding that love requires risk.
Synthesis
Herbert resolves the misunderstanding through honest communication and comedic action, proving his transformation. He applies both his newfound emotional maturity and his established comedic resourcefulness to set things right.
Transformation
Herbert, now healed and whole, has integrated back into the world with a balanced view of relationships. He's no longer the naive romantic or the bitter misogynist, but a mature person capable of genuine connection.