Midnight Manhunt (1945) Plot Summary Explained

Reporter Sue Gallagher hides Joe Wells' corpse among the wax exhibits to secure an exclusive scoop for her newspaper. As the first person on the scene, she realizes she has a valuable news story and decides to conceal the body rather than alert authorities immediately, believing this will give her time to investigate and write the story before anyone else.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Sue is established as an ambitious reporter competing with Pete Willis for breaking news.

• sue gallagher
• wax museum
• body hidden
• scoop
• exclusive story

Caretaker Clutch discovers the corpse in the wax museum and fears a police investigation would bring trouble to the establishment. He persuades the elderly owner Mr. Miggs to help him relocate the body to a nearby railyard, planning to dump it there to avoid implicating the museum in the crime.

Foreshadowing: The museum's modest size and elderly owner suggest they lack the resources to handle a murder investigation professionally.

• clutch
• mr miggs
• wax museum
• body moved
• railyard

Killer Jelke follows the trail of blood from Joe Wells' hotel room directly to the wax museum. The blood trail leads him straight to where Sue has hidden the corpse among the wax exhibits, allowing him to confront her and demand to know the body's location.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes that Wells was shot and wandered bleeding from his hotel room to the alley.

• jelke
• blood trail
• wax museum
• killer
• finds body

Pete Willis moves the body from the railyard to prevent Sue Gallagher from getting the exclusive story. Their rivalry as competing reporters drives Pete to steal the scoop by hiding the corpse elsewhere, ensuring Sue cannot publish her story first.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Sue and Pete are rivals competing for the same breaking news story.

• pete willis
• body moved
• railyard
• competition
• scoop

The body is missing because Pete Willis had already moved it from the railyard. When Jelke forces Sue to accompany him to retrieve the corpse, they discover Pete has hidden it elsewhere to block Sue from getting the scoop.

Foreshadowing: Pete's earlier decision to move the body establishes he is willing to sabotage Sue's story.

• body missing
• railyard
• pete willis
• moved

Jelke is revealed to be the killer who murdered master criminal Joe Wells. Though the exact reason isn't heavily detailed, Wells is described as a master criminal, suggesting Jelke killed him as part of a criminal rivalry, to eliminate a competitor, or as part of a criminal scheme.

• jelke
• joe wells
• killer
• murder
• master criminal

When police arrive at the wax museum, Jelke knocks Sue unconscious to escape detection. He uses the confusion of the police arrival as a distraction to make his getaway while avoiding capture, leaving Sue unconscious as he flees.

Foreshadowing: Jelke's confrontations earlier show he is willing to use violence to prevent discovery.

• jelke
• sue unconscious
• police
• wax museum
• escapes

After the police leave and the chaos subsides, Sue Gallagher learns the location where Clutch and Miggs have taken Wells' body. The exact method isn't detailed, but she acquires this information, allowing her to pursue the story further.

• sue gallagher
• body location
• cluth
• miggs
• discovers

Jelke returns to the wax museum and compels Sue to accompany him to the railyard under coercion. He uses the threat of harm or exposure to force the journalist to lead him to the body's location, manipulating her into helping him retrieve the corpse.

• jelke
• sue
• railyard
• forced
• coerces

The police are called to the wax museum, likely due to the ongoing disturbance and reports of the crime. Their arrival triggers Jelke to knock Sue unconscious and escape. From there, law enforcement becomes involved in the investigation, eventually leading to Jelke's capture.

Foreshadowing: The escalating chaos at the museum with multiple parties searching for the body draws official attention.

• police
• wax museum
• investigation
• involved

After the danger passes and the mystery is solved, Sue and Pete work together to produce the newspaper story. Their professional rivalry evolves into collaboration, and they agree to share credit for the exclusive expose, marking the resolution of both their professional competition and developing romantic connection.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes their growing attraction throughout the investigation.

• sue gallagher
• pete willis
• shared credit
• newspaper
• romance