Man in the Dark

Steve Rawley is serving a 10-year sentence for a Christmas Eve factory robbery that netted $130,000, which he hid somewhere. The case sets up the background for his attempt to outrun his past. He agrees to join an experimental brain surgery intended to remove the 'criminal element'.

Steve is paroled into the custody of Dr. Marsden, who performs the experimental procedure meant to erase memories of the robbery. The operation is designed to leave him with amnesia and to block knowledge of the loot. Marsden believes the surgery could purge the 'criminal element'.

Insurance investigator Jawald, tipped off by a police contact, visits Marsden to discover where the money is hidden. The doctor warns Jawald that if the surgery succeeds, Steve will remember nothing of his past and will forget the robbery. Jawald remains determined to uncover the loot.

With release looming, Lefty, Arnie and Cookie raid the facility and abduct Steve. He claims he does not recognize them, suggesting the amnesia might be real, as the gang forces him to reveal the location of the money.

The gang brings Steve to a city apartment where Peg greets him. He again says he doesn't know her, reinforcing the belief that his memory loss is genuine. Peg grows suspicious of his condition and the possibility that he has forgotten his past.

While the three men play cards, Steve attempts to call for help but is intercepted and beaten. The gang uses the downtime to press him for details about the robbery and the missing money, testing the depth of his amnesia.

Cookie mentions a photo showing Steve in a different suit at the time of the arrest, suggesting he hid the money. Lefty forces Steve to write the number 1133, and a confrontation follows as they beat him again. They then go to Steve's boarded-up old house to search for the loot.

Peg begins to believe Steve's story about the amnesia and cares for him as he tries to rest after the beating. He has a vivid dream centered on the nearby amusement park, hinting that the park holds the key to the loot.

Lefty tells Steve he has one hour left to reveal the money, then leaves the kitchen door unlocked hoping Steve will escape. Steve and Peg slip out and head toward the amusement park, seeking the clue that might lead to the loot.

At the post office they realize the number 1133 does not denote a box, and then recall that the paper is tied to a concession at the amusement park. They decide to go to the park to verify this clue and locate the package.

Inside the amusement park concession area they discover that the clue refers to a package box used for park guests. They find a box that contains the money, disguised as a candy prize won at a game.

Peg bluntly tells Steve that if he intends to keep the money, she does not want to be with him. The tension underscores the moral choice facing Steve as their future together hangs in the balance.

The gang gives chase and a fight erupts on a roller coaster. Steve defeats Lefty, who falls to his death. Jawald arrives with the police, Cookie is shot, and Arnie is arrested, ending the immediate threat.

After weighing the option of running away with the money, Steve decides to hand it over and pursue a normal life with Peg. The sequence ends with the pair moving forward together, starting fresh away from crime.