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Appointment with Crime (1946) movie poster

Timeline

Appointment with Crime (1946) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1946 · 92 mins · English
Directed by
John Harlow
Starring
Herbert Lom, James Robertson Justice, Ivor Barnard, William Hartnell, Robert Beatty, Harry Terry

Small-time jewel thief Leo Martin is abandoned by his partners—club owner Gus Loman and driver Hatchett—when a robbery goes awry. After serving his prison term, determined to settle the score, Leo resurfaces with an elaborate revenge scheme that intricately weaves false evidence to frame Loman and his unscrupulous boss Gregory Lang for murder, while Inspector Rogers remains convinced of Leo’s guilt.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Appointment with Crime
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Appointment with Crime Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Appointment with Crime (1946) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. The failed heist and Leo's injury

    During a smash-and-grab at a jewellery store, Leo breaks the window but a security shutter falls and crushes his wrists. He is captured and sent to prison. He refuses to reveal who he works for, nursing a deep anger toward Gus for abandoning him during the raid.

    When
    During the heist
    Where
    Jewellery store
  2. Prison time and silent loyalty

    Leo serves his term without naming his employer, maintaining his loyalty to the gang and keeping Gus in the dark. He stews in prison, letting resentment toward Gus fester. The time behind bars hardens his resolve to seek revenge later.

    When
    During imprisonment
    Where
    Prison
  3. Release and Gus rebuffs him

    When Leo is released, he seeks a job from Gus but is harshly rebuffed. Gus notes that Leo's damaged wrists would prevent him from being a thief, which fuels Leo's decision to pursue vengeance instead. He starts laying the groundwork for a revenge plot.

    When
    After prison release
    Where
    Gus's operation
  4. Framing Gus and meeting Carol

    Leo decides to frame Gus for murder by stealing Gus's gun and killing the getaway driver who had also abandoned him. He creates an alibi to avoid prosecution and runs into Carol Dane, beginning a romance she does not yet suspect. The romance complicates his plans and privacy.

    When
    Soon after release
    Where
    City streets
  5. Confrontation over money or the gun

    Leo confronts Gus with an ultimatum, insisting that if Gus does not provide money he will hand the gun to the police. Gus agrees to pay, hoping to buy time and avoid exposure. The tension between them tightens as Leo moves his plan forward.

    When
    After the confrontation
    Where
    Gus's base
  6. Gus pays, Gregory Lang revealed

    Gus hands over the money and then contacts Gregory Lang, an antiques dealer who is secretly the mastermind behind the operation. Gregory had hired Gus to steal jewellery and art for him, reframing the true chain of command. Leo begins to align himself with Gregory even as he keeps his alibi intact.

    When
    Immediately after the payoff
    Where
    Gus's base
  7. Rogers investigates and questions Leo

    Detective Inspector Rogers starts investigating the murder and questions Leo about his whereabouts the night of the crime. Leo tries to project innocence and reassures the inspector that he wants to live away from crime, but Rogers remains skeptical. The investigation tightens around Leo's story.

    When
    Night of murder / ongoing
    Where
    Police investigation
  8. Gun discrepancy and a dangerous deal

    Leo and Gregory discover that the gun used in the murder belonged to Gregory, not Gus. Gregory grows furious and has his associate plot to murder Gus while threatening Leo. Leo is hurt again but negotiates a deal to bring back the gun and steal a jewel.

    When
    Before the jewel theft
    Where
    Gregory's circle
  9. Rogers closes in on the case

    As the scheme unfolds, Rogers uncovers more clues that link Leo to the murder and the cab driver's death. The inspector's persistence narrows the field and increases the risk of exposure for Leo. The pressure mounts as the net tightens around him.

    When
    During the investigation
    Where
    Police investigation
  10. The jewel theft and the fatal gunfight

    Leo steals the jewel and returns the gun to Gregory, triggering a gunfight that leaves Gregory dead. The plan collapses into chaos as loyalties fracture and Leo's lies threaten to unravel. The confrontation ends with Gregory dead and the path to escape closing in.

    When
    Confrontation
    Where
    Gregory's location
  11. Escape on the train with Carol

    Leo jumps onto a train to run away with Carol, hoping to start anew. She confronts him about his lies and the dangerous truth of his actions. The romance can no longer be trusted as the truth surfaces.

    When
    Escape attempt
    Where
    Train
  12. Rogers closes in and the final trap

    Rogers arrives after learning that Leo murdered the cab driver and prepares to arrest him. Leo tries to jump from the train window but the window slams shut on his wrists, trapping him and ending his escape. The net result is a dramatic capture scene.

    When
    End
    Where
    Train

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:48

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Timeline questions answered

Appointment with Crime Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Appointment with Crime (1946): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Leo decide to frame Gus for murder?

Leo frames Gus because he was abandoned during the failed heist. After serving prison time for the robbery where his wrists were crushed, Leo returns expecting to rejoin the gang, but Gus cruelly rejects him, claiming his damaged wrists make him useless as a thief. This betrayal ignites Leo's desire for revenge, so he steals Gus's gun and kills the getaway driver (who also abandoned him), then plants the gun to make it appear Gus committed the murder.

Foreshadowing: Leo's silence in prison about his employers hints at his long-nurtured grudge, which surfaces once he's released.

  • leo martin
  • gus loman
  • revenge
  • framing
  • betrayal
  • prison
Q2

How does Leo kill the cab driver and frame Gus?

Leo steals Gus's gun from his office, then locates the former getaway driver who now works as a cab driver and shoots him with the stolen weapon. To complete the frame, Leo plants the gun near the crime scene and constructs a careful alibi, making it appear that Gus committed the murder. The plan is sophisticated enough to initially mislead Detective Inspector Rogers.

  • cab driver murder
  • frame job
  • gun
  • alibi
  • crime
Q3

Why does Gus agree to pay Leo after the confrontation?

Gus pays Leo because Leo threatens to hand the stolen gun to the police, which would directly link Gus to the murder. Even though Gus is innocent of killing the cab driver, he cannot explain away the presence of his own gun at the murder scene without revealing his criminal operations. The payment is essentially hush money to protect Gus's broader criminal network.

  • gus loman
  • payment
  • blackmail
  • gun
  • police
Q4

Who is Gregory Lang and what is his connection to Gus?

Gregory Lang is an antiques dealer who secretly orchestrates the criminal operations Gus runs. He hired Gus to steal jewellery and art, making Gus essentially a paid thug rather than an independent operator. When Gus pays Leo and then contacts Gregory, it reveals the true chain of command in the criminal underworld, the real mastermind operates from behind the scenes.

  • gregory lang
  • antiques dealer
  • mastermind
  • gus loman
  • crime boss
Q5

How does Leo get injured a second time?

After the gun discrepancy reveals that the murder weapon was Gregory's rather than Gus's, Gregory becomes furious and orders his associate to kill Gus while threatening Leo into compliance. During this dangerous confrontation, Leo suffers another crushing blow to his wrists, the same injured body part that already ended his thief career. This second injury forces him into a grim agreement with Gregory.

Foreshadowing: The narrative hints early on that Leo's injured wrists remain a critical vulnerability throughout the story.

  • wrist injury
  • gregory lang
  • threat
  • confrontation
  • second injury
Q6

What role does Carol Dane play in Leo's plan?

Carol Dane is a woman Leo encounters while setting up his revenge scheme. Unaware of his criminal nature, she begins a romance with him, adding a personal stake to his otherwise purely vengeful plan. The relationship complicates Leo's emotions and creates tension, as his deception of Carol conflicts with genuine feelings that develop between them. When Leo tries to escape on the train with her, she confronts him about his lies, revealing the personal cost of his double life.

  • carol dane
  • romance
  • love
  • deception
  • escape plan
Q7

Why does Leo kill Gregory during the confrontation?

Leo kills Gregory because the situation has become impossible. After returning the gun and stealing a jewel as agreed, Gregory's gunfight erupts, likely because Gregory planned to eliminate Leo anyway after getting his gun back. The confrontation turns violent, and in the chaos, Leo shoots Gregory dead. This act marks the complete collapse of Leo's intricate plan, as now he has actually murdered someone rather than just framing others.

Foreshadowing: Gregory's discovery that the gun was his own suggests he would never let Leo live after being double-crossed.

  • gregory lang
  • murder
  • gunfight
  • jewel theft
  • betrayal
Q8

How does Inspector Rogers discover Leo is the murderer?

Inspector Rogers systematically questions Leo's alibi and closely examines the evidence, pulling together clues that link Leo to the cab driver's murder. Rogers remains skeptical of Leo's reformed persona from the start and refuses to accept his story at face value. As the investigation progresses, Rogers uncovers enough evidence to identify Leo as the actual killer, leading him to pursue Leo to the train where he prepares to arrest him.

Foreshadowing: Rogers' persistent questioning of Leo early in the film plants the seeds for his eventual breakthrough.

  • inspector rogers
  • investigation
  • evidence
  • arrest
  • police
Q9

Why does Leo get caught at the end of the movie?

Leo gets caught because the train window slams shut on his already-injured wrists as he tries to escape through it. This crushing trap prevents him from completing his escape attempt, leaving him dangling as Inspector Rogers arrives to arrest him. The dramatic irony is that Leo's weak wrists, the very injury that started his revenge quest, ultimately cause his capture. The window essentially reseals the same way it did during the original heist, creating a tragic symmetry.

Foreshadowing: The repeated vulnerability of Leo's wrists is foreshadowed throughout, making this ending thematically resonant.

  • train escape
  • capture
  • window
  • wrists
  • arrest
  • final scene
Q10

Why does Leo stay silent about his employers while in prison?

Leo remains silent about his criminal employers because his code of loyalty to the gang is stronger than his desire for a reduced sentence. Even when facing prison time for the failed heist, he chooses not to name Gus Loman as his boss. This silence is not noble, it is the foundation that allows his resentment to fester in prison, hardening his resolve to seek revenge once released. The betrayal feels deeper precisely because he protected those who abandoned him.

  • prison
  • silence
  • loyalty
  • gang
  • betrayal
  • sentence

Movie threads

More Movies Like Appointment with Crime, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Appointment with Crime tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies like Appointment with Crime: Calculated Underworld Revenge

Stories of meticulous revenge plots unfolding against a gritty criminal backdrop. If you enjoyed the intricate revenge plot of Appointment with Crime, explore more movies where protagonists craft meticulous schemes against their betrayers. These films share a gritty criminal setting, a steady build of tension, and a somber tone, delivering a similar feeling of grim, methodical payback.

  • vengeful
  • calculating
  • grim
  • suspenseful
  • methodical
  • betrayal
  • Tone: dark, vengeful, grim
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows a betrayed individual—often a criminal themselves—who, after a period of suffering, returns with a cold, intelligent plan for vengeance. The story methodically details the setup and execution of this scheme, creating a cat-and-mouse game with their targets, and often culminating in a high-stakes, morally complex conclusion.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared focus on a specific revenge archetype: the planner. They feature a similar dark tone, steady pacing that builds suspense, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from themes of betrayal and the high cost of vengeance, creating a cohesive viewing experience for fans of intricate, character-driven crime dramas.

Bleak and Fatalistic Crime Movies like Appointment with Crime

Grim crime stories where characters are trapped by circumstance and a bleak fate. Fans of the grim ending in Appointment with Crime will appreciate this selection of movies that share a fatalistic tone. These stories feature characters caught in inescapable cycles of crime and punishment, resulting in sad or bleak conclusions and a consistently dark, heavy atmosphere.

  • fatalistic
  • grim
  • bleak
  • relentless
  • tense
  • sad
  • Tone: dark, bleak, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey in these films is often a spiral, where a character's initial mistake or desperate act sets them on an unavoidable path toward downfall. Despite their struggles, the world of the film is unforgiving, and the ending reinforces a sense of inevitability and poetic, if tragic, justice.

Why they belong together: They are united by a shared, dominant mood of grim fatalism. The combination of a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and predominantly sad or bleak endings creates a distinct viewing experience centered on the inescapable consequences of a life of crime and moral compromise.

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Every angle

Appointment with Crime (1946) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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