Night Patrol

Melvin White is demoted to night patrol by his pathologically lying captain, setting the stage for his bungling on the job. The demotion heightens his sense of being trapped between official duties and a secret life. It also begins the dynamic that will push him toward the night-time alter ego, The Unknown Comic.

White performs as The Unknown Comic at night, wearing a bag with eye and mouth holes. The persona makes him popular and feared at the same time, blurring the line between his badge and his stage. His double life begins to complicate his patrol duties and relationships.

Edith Hutton, a fan of The Unknown Comic, becomes obsessed with uncovering the performer's identity. She is even willing to leave her current boyfriend for a chance to meet him. Her fixation adds a personal stake to the mystery surrounding White.

White attends regular sessions with a psychiatrist, hinting at the conflicts behind his police work and secret persona. The therapy scenes provide insight into his inner turmoil and the tension between his two lives. The psychiatrist's presence foreshadows the impersonation plot.

A thief robs bars at gunpoint while dressed as The Unknown Comic, exploiting White's alter ego. The robberies sow doubt about who is behind the bag and bring White under scrutiny from his captain. The impersonation kicks the central mystery into motion.

White's captain grows suspicious that White himself is the Unknown Comic, especially as the imposter causes trouble on White's beat. To clear his name, White decides to team with his partner Lane to hunt the impersonator. The partnership becomes a bid to protect both his badge and his secret identity.

White and Lane begin a joint investigation while continuing their patrol duties. They balance undercover sleuthing with routine policing, chasing leads that could reveal the impersonator. The case strains their professional partnership and reveals their different approaches to crime.

During White's scheduled performance, an impersonator appears on stage to entertain the crowd, while another impersonator enters the venue to snatch money. The chaos tests White's control over his own image and complicates the pursuit. He must stay in character while his alter ego is being used against him.

White and the thief chase their quarry and end up in a Western-film-style gun duel. White wins the duel, and the impostor is unmasked, confirming the danger of the impersonation. The tense confrontation finally brings the identity crisis into the open.

The unmasked impersonator is White's psychiatrist, who admits he wanted to become rich by stealing White's fame. The twist explains the earlier impersonations as calculated attempts to cash in on White's public image. White's trust in the medical professional is shattered.

White learns that the second impersonator is Perman, who used a recording of White's voice to shield him from arrest. The deception exposes not just a crime plot but a complex web of identities surrounding The Unknown Comic. The revelation heightens the tension as White confronts the duplicity.

The film ends with Perman and White sharing an intimate moment at White's apartment following the unmaskings. The private truth about his life collides with his public persona, leaving his future uncertain but his personal connection unresolved. The closing scene underscores the movie's blend of crime, comedy and sexuality.