Phantom Lady

Scott Henderson, after a fight with his wife on their anniversary, leaves home and meets an equally unhappy woman at Anselmo's Bar in Manhattan. They decide to hire a taxi to see a stage show together. The encounter sets up the central mystery as the woman's identity remains hidden.

During the stage show, Estela Monteiro notices that she and the mystery woman wear the same distinctive hat, triggering a flash of fury from the star. The hat coincidence raises suspicion and memory among those who later encounter the phantom lady. The audience threads the growing tension around Henderson and the unidentified woman.

Henderson returns home to find his wife murdered, strangled with one of his neckties. Inspector Burgess and two officers question him, and although he has a solid alibi, witnesses recall seeing him with the phantom lady and fail to identify her. Henderson cannot clearly describe the woman, deepening the mystery.

Henderson is tried, convicted, and sentenced to death amid doubts about his alibi and the phantom lady. The bartender, taxi driver, and Monteiro remember him but cannot confirm the identity of the woman, leading to a seemingly unwinnable case. The system leans toward his guilt despite the murkiness of the evidence.

Carol Richman, known as Kansas, decides to prove Henderson's innocence by starting with the bartender. She sits in the bar night after night, studying his routine and unsettling him with her presence. She even follows Henderson home one night, and when he confronts her on the street, bystanders restrain him as he breaks free.

Kansas dresses provocatively and goes to Cliff's show, flirting with him to capture his attention. They rendezvous afterward, visit an underground jam session, and go to his apartment. Cliff boasts about being paid for his false testimony, and when a paper about the phantom lady is found in Kansas's purse, he accuses her of deception.

An unidentified man arrives, accuses Cliff of accepting a bribe to deny seeing the phantom lady, and strangles Cliff to death. The murder removes a crucial eyewitness from Henderson's case and complicates Kansas's investigation. The city trembles as the trail grows colder.

Jack Marlow, Henderson's best friend, returns from South America to help but secretly works to frustrate Kansas's efforts. He hides his deteriorating mental state and becomes a troubling presence for the investigation. His arrival adds tension to the pursuit of truth.

Kansas tracks Monteiro's hatmaker, Kettisha, and learns from an employee that the hat was copied for a regular client. The hatmaker provides a name and address, offering a fresh lead that ties the phantom lady to a specific person. The investigation gains a new direction.

With Burgess away on another case, Kansas and Marlow visit Ann Terry, the milliner's client who is under a doctor's care. They discover she collapsed months earlier when her fiancé died, leaving her emotionally devastated. Kansas finds the hat in Ann Terry's possession, connecting the dots further.

Marlow reveals his jealousy over Henderson's wife and admits his role in the deception. As Burgess arrives, Marlow leaps to his death by jumping out the window, removing himself from the investigation. Henderson is freed from suspicion, and the path toward exoneration clears.

Henderson is cleared, and the door opens to a relationship with Kansas. The truth about the phantom lady has prevailed, and the couple looks toward a future together. The case closes with justice and a hopeful new chapter.