Supernatural

Ruth Rogen sits on death row in New York City for murdering three former lovers. Her fourth lover, Paul Bavian, betrayed her to the police, sealing her fate. The opening establishes Ruth's bleak situation and the motive that will echo through the subsequent events.

Dr. Carl Houston believes the evil spirit of an executed murderer can cross into the living and cause new crimes. He secures permission to experiment on Ruth Rogen's body after her planned execution and prepares a method to reanimate her. In his laboratory, electricity becomes a tool for a dangerous form of resurrection.

Heiress Roma Courtney is contacted by Bavian, who claims her recently deceased twin brother John wants to send her a message. The promise of a spectral visitation draws Roma into a web of deceit. The encounter links Bavian to the supernatural thread of the plot from the start.

Bavian's landlady threatens to expose him, so he murders her with a poisoned ring. The act reveals Bavian's ruthlessness and raises the stakes for every other character. The murder eliminates a potential witness who might expose his fraud.

Roma and fiancé Grant Wilson attend a séance performed by Bavian. The séance showcases Bavian's tricks as he fakes contact with the dead and manipulates Roma emotionally. The event plants doubt about where any genuine messages might be coming from.

During the séance, Bavian convinces Roma that Hammond, the Courtney estate manager, murdered her deceased brother. The lie deepens Roma's trust in Bavian’s occult persona while widening the rift with Grant. The deception foreshadows how easily Roma could be swayed.

Roma and Grant visit Dr. Houston, who is busy in his laboratory attempting to reanimate Ruth Rogen's body. They learn more about the dangerous experiments and the possibility that Ruth's spirit could cross into the living. The visit ties the supernatural plot to the scientific one.

A wind bursts through the room and Ruth Rogen's spirit attempts to possess Roma, leaving fingerprints on Roma's neck. The event marks the first direct crossing of Ruth's spirit into the living world. The moment raises the stakes as Roma becomes a conduit for Ruth's actions.

To prove Bavian's fraud, Grant arranges a second séance at Roma's home. Bavian prepares his tricks anew, while Roma's susceptibility to suggestion grows. The plan escalates the confrontation between the living and the alleged dead.

During the second séance, Bavian uses his ring to kill Hammond, and Ruth Rogen's spirit possesses Roma. The possession intensifies as Roma's voice and mannerisms slip into Ruth’s, making her a dangerous ally for Bavian. The event marks a critical turn toward fatal consequences.

The possessed Roma agrees to leave with Bavian and they go to Roma's former apartment. The landlord orders them to leave, foreshadowing further conflict. The entanglement moves from séance deception to a physical pursuit.

Bavian and Roma adjourn to Roma's yacht, seeking privacy away from prying observers. The yacht provides a liminal space where their growing intimacy meets Ruth's lingering influence. The setting shifts the danger from a home to a remote vessel.

Grant, aided by John's ghost, realizes Roma is possessed and rushes to the yacht to intervene. The spectral guidance helps him understand the truth behind Roma's behavior. The ghostly help underlines the themes of spirits guiding mortal decisions.

On the yacht, Bavian and Roma exchange charged dialogue, while Roma's possession makes her unpredictable. Grant arrives just in time to stop Roma from strangling Bavian, and the moment reveals Bavian's fragility under pressure. The confrontation heightens the suspense as truth emerges.

Bavian attempts to flee, but Ruth Rogen's spirit closes in and hangs him, ending his fraud. Ruth's spirit then departs, and John's ghost urges Roma and Grant to marry. The ending ties the haunting to a hopeful alliance between Roma and Grant.