Nora Prentiss

Dr. Richard Talbot, Kent Smith, a San Francisco physician, is tired of the dull routine of his married life. A chance encounter with nightclub singer Nora Prentiss, Ann Sheridan, after she is struck by a truck near his office, pulls him into a dangerous, alluring affair that unsettles his home and professional world.

As the affair deepens, he tries to cool things down after he forgets his daughter’s birthday. When Nora says she wants to break things off entirely and he is so shaken that he nearly kills a patient during surgery, he realizes he is not willing to lose her. Lacking a straightforward path to divorce, he hatches a drastic plan.

Seizing an opportunity, he fakes his own death by switching places with a patient who resembles him and whom he knows has no family or friends. He places his wedding ring on the corpse, puts the body in his car, and drives it off a cliff, setting the car on fire. He then relocates with Nora to New York, withdrawing a large sum of money to start anew. Soon after, he learns that the circumstances surrounding his apparent death are under investigation.

Back in New York, he withholds the truth as the questions mount, and Nora grows uneasy with the lie. She remains by his side, taking a job singing at a club owned by her former boss, while he descends into jealousy and heavy drinking. A fight with her boss leads to a fiery car crash in which his face is burned. The police arrest him as a murder suspect once his fingerprints are found to match those at the crime scene.

Back in San Francisco, Richard refuses to reveal his identity or defend himself, thinking that speech would only bring more pain to his family. He convinces Nora to help him maintain the ruse so he can be convicted and, effectively, executed for his own murder.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:32