The 1946 film "That Brennan Girl" is set in San Francisco during the period of World War II. A watch with a Hungarian coin appears in the film. Zenia "Ziggy" Brennan has been raised by her mother to exploit her looks and body to get money and valuables from men. She meets Denny Reagan, a local thief and confidence man, and they form a relationship. One of Ziggy's conquests is a sailor named Martin Neilson. He shows off an unusual watch which Ziggy steals and later returns to him. The watch has a US Navy insignia cover and attached are some foreign (non-US) coins, including a Hungary 50 filler coin and a scalloped coin.

In San Francisco of 1946 young Ziggy Brennan walks around the downtown area.

Ziggy walks by "Robison's - The House of Pets" and then "Sheridan & Bell Flowers." The time is just before the Mother's Day holiday on May 12, 1946.

Ziggy buys some flowers and heads home to her mother.

The apartment is at the corner of Frederick Street and Stanyan Street and the buildings which appear in the film are still standing. Later Ziggy attends a party and meets Denny Reagan.

Denny is a confidence man and a thief who is currently running a group stealing furniture. The pair become friends and between Denny and her mother Ziggy gets an education. Denny's mother lives in the city and Denny visits her a lot.

She knows what he does but pretends to believe his excuses. Denny has a somewhat exaggerated respect for motherhood. At a nightclub Ziggy spots a sailor and she sees a mark.

She tells him that she has to make an important telephone call but forgot to bring her change purse. The sailor, actually a US Navy Chief Petty Officer named Martin Neilson, gives her some money, and later joins her, Denny, and some friends. Denny admires Martin's wrist watch, which is quite special.

Martin made a special cover for the watch.

The watch cover has an ordinance flaming bomb symbol and his initials "M-H."

The watch cover off reveals the watch, and attached is a coin which reads "50." The coin is a Hungary 50 filler coin with the reverse showing. The coin's date is not shown but these coins were made in 1926, 1938, 1939, and 1940. Also shown is the edge of a scalloped coin. Both British India and Ceylon made them then. An example of a 1926 Hungary 50 filler coin is shown below:

Copper-nickel, 22 mm, 5.0 gm, about the size of a US nickel five cent coin
Obverse: MAGYAR KIRÁLYSÁG, Crown of St. Stephen, date
Reverse: 50 FILLÉR, BP. at bottom (Budapest)

Ziggy takes Martin up to her apartment and manages to steal the watch. She later shows it to Denny, who examines it and spots an inscription: "To My Beloved Son from Mom" and immediately orders Ziggy to return the watch.

She first tells him he dropped it but then admits stealing it.

Ziggy and Martin get married, she gets pregnant, and Martin rejoins the Navy and is killed in action. Ziggy has a war widow's pension and her own apartment, but she gets bored taking care of her baby girl. She hires a high-school girl to watch the child and heads for the nightclubs. The girl leaves the baby alone, the baby falls out of her crib, and her cries bring the neighbors. Ziggy is taken before a judge who finds her guilty of being a bad mother, puts her on probation, and turns her child over to the city's juvenile services. Denny, who respects motherhood, stops seeing her. At first Ziggy resumes nightclubbing but begins to miss her daughter. She starts going to church, and one day finds an abandoned baby boy, which she takes home and begins raising. Denny learns of the arrangement and assists her in getting her daughter back from the city.

The last scene of the film is at the corner of Powell and Market Streets where the city's famous Cable Cars are turned around.

The Owl Drug Store was located there at the time.

The film ends with Denny, Ziggy, and their two children riding on the cable car.

Mona Freeman as Ziggy Brennan
James Dunn as Denny Reagan
William Marshall as Chief Petty Officer Martin Neilson
Director: Alfred Santell
Writers: Doris Anderson, Adela Rogers St. Johns