High Wall

Steven Kenet's car plummets into a river as he tries to stage a suicide and conceal the strangulation murder of his wife. He survives but suffers memory gaps from a wartime brain injury aggravated by a Burma crash. He is sent to a county psychiatric hospital for a sanity evaluation related to the murder.

Kenet falls under the scrutiny of the county psychiatric hospital where doctors assess his mental state and fitness to stand trial. Dr. Ann Lorrison takes a personal and professional interest in his case. A potential brain-injury surgery is discussed as a possible remedy.

Doctors propose surgery to relieve the brain injury, but Kenet refuses to consent and begins stalling. He hopes to buy time to clear his name and protect his six-year-old son. The standoff sets the stage for a high-stakes legal and medical struggle.

Lorrison informs Kenet that his mother has died, ostensibly doom­ing his son to a county orphanage. Convinced this will ruin his ability to care for his child, Kenet agrees to undergo the surgery to secure custody.

Henry Cronner, the janitor of Whitcombe's building, tries to blackmail Kenet over his potential involvement in his wife's death. After being rebuffed, Cronner hints he can 'save' Kenet but demands payment for details. The tension hints at a larger web of danger surrounding Whitcombe.

Whitcombe effectively silences Cronner by sending him plummeting to his death down the building's elevator shaft. The murder demonstrates Whitcombe's willingness to eliminate anyone who might threaten his position. Kenet remains unaware of Cronner's fate at this point.

Kenet undergoes narcosynthesis with a light dose of sodium pentothal to jog his memory. He recalls blacking out just as his hands clenched around his wife's neck and later waking to find her dead. The procedure provides crucial, if fragmentary, clarity about the night of the murder.

Following the procedure, Kenet hides in Dr. Lorrison's car to escape from the hospital grounds. He begins to chart a path toward Whitcombe, intent on uncovering the truth and seeking resolution. The escape marks a turning point in his fight for freedom.

Kenet breaks into Whitcombe's apartment and recreates a scene resembling what he recalled under the drug. The act is a bold bid to trigger a reaction and pressure Whitcombe. He returns to the hospital after the break-in, hoping to stay under the radar.

Kenet returns to the hospital, unnoticed and unbetrayed by Dr. Lorrison, and waits for Whitcombe to contact him. The quiet interlude heightens the tension as both men circle the truth. The next move could decide his fate.

Whitcombe shows up and deliberately provokes Kenet into a murderous rage by confessing his two killings. The confrontation pushes Kenet toward a desperate decision that could expose Whitcombe's guilt. The dynamic between the men shifts dramatically in that moment.

In a burst of action, Kenet steals Lorrison's car and escapes the hospital again, making his way to Whitcombe's apartment. He is determined to confront the truth and force Whitcombe to confess. Lorrison accompanies him, insisting on staying by his side.

A brutal fistfight dazes Whitcombe, creating a window for the truth. Seizing the moment, Lorr Morrison administers sodium pentothal to Kenet to draw out further truth and confessions. The sequence uncovers deeper layers of Whitcombe's guilt.

Whitcombe's complete confession is presented before a waiting group of policemen and the district attorney, who tells Kenet he is free to go. Although the drugged statements may be inadmissible, the truth begins to surface through other channels. The legal resolution appears within reach.

Kenet and Lorr Morrison go to her home, where she has custody of his son the entire time. Kenet is reunited with his child, and the couple finally feel free to pursue their romantic future together. A new life begins for the small family.