Deadline at Dawn

Sleepy Parsons, a blind piano player, Marvin Miller arrives at the apartment of his ex-wife Edna Bartelli Lola Lane, who owes him $1,400. She checks her purse, but discovers it missing, and immediately suspects a U.S. Navy sailor has taken it. In nearby New York City, Alex Winkler Bill Williams wakes up with a hazy memory after a night of heavy drinking and finds the cash still in his pocket. With seven hours left before he must report for duty, he approaches June Goffe Susan Hayward, a dance hall girl, at a nightclub, and they share a dance before she guides him to her apartment.

Before Alex leaves June’s place, she tells him that her mother lives in Norfolk, Virginia, near a naval base where Alex is stationed. He hands her some of the money to help her, explaining that he stole it after fixing Edna’s radio. June manages to persuade him to return the cash, but once they reach Edna’s apartment, they find Edna dead. June suspects Alex of the murder, though he protests his innocence.

Outside, Babe Dooley [Joe Sawyer]—one of Edna’s former lovers—cries out for her and then disappears, leaving the sense that someone close to Edna could be involved. The couple suspects a strangulation, and they decide to retrace the killer’s steps. They learn that hours earlier a blonde woman with a limp had rushed into a cab. June learns from a cab driver that he had driven the blonde downtown, while Alex follows a distraught man, hoping to uncover the truth. The trail grows more tangled when the man speeds off because his cat is choking, and he orders his taxi back toward Edna’s building.

June goes to the apartment of Helen Robinson [Osa Massen] and her husband Jerry, where Helen has an argument with Jerry and steps out to confront him about the previous night. Meanwhile, Alex and June return to Edna’s apartment with Gus Hoffman [Paul Lukas], a taxi driver who has been keeping an eye on Alex. They uncover Edna’s letters that threaten to blackmail several past lovers, along with a bad check signed by Lester Brady [Jerome Cowan].

A woman identified as Mrs. Raymond [Connie Conrad] walks into Edna’s place and, upon discovering that Edna is dead, flees when Alex, June, and Gus reveal themselves. Alex then calls Lester to inform him of the murder, and Mrs. Raymond heads to Lester’s apartment, quickly suspecting Alex of the crime.

Alex finally reaches Lester’s place and is confronted by Edna’s brother Val Bartelli [Joseph Calleia], who also suspects Alex. The trio returns to Edna’s apartment, where Val menacingly assaults Alex until Lester intervenes. June and Gus come back with a crucial clue—a white carnation—that leads them to a nightclub where Sleepy Parsons is performing. Wearing Edna’s perfume, June confronts Sleepy with the murder, and Val questions Sleepy, who then dies of a heart attack.

The investigation intensifies as the police get involved and Alex is interrogated for Edna’s murder. In a dramatic turn, Jerry Robinson [Phil Warren] confesses to killing Edna, but his testimony is later challenged and overturned. Gus then confesses to the murder, revealing that he acted to protect his daughter Helen’s marriage; Jerry had been involved with Edna and had fathered a child with her. With the truth coming to light, Gus pleads for Alex’s release, and Alex is cleared of homicide. Before Alex leaves for naval duty, he shares a tender kiss with June, closing the case on a note of bittersweet resolution.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:41