The Blue Gardenia

On the night of her birthday, Norah Larkin opens a letter from her fiancé who is serving in the Korean War. The letter reveals that he intends to marry someone he met in Tokyo. The revelation shatters her expectations and sets the story in motion.

Over the phone, Norah agrees to a date with Harry Prebble, a calendar girl artist. The arrangement pulls her into a night she did not anticipate. The evening begins a sequence that leads toward danger.

Norah goes to the Blue Gardenia restaurant where Harry is surprised to see her instead of Crystal. He keeps her drinking tropical cocktails until she is tipsy. The setting becomes the backdrop for what follows that night.

Harry takes Norah to his apartment to 'show her his art' and seduce her. She passes out on the couch, and he awakens her to attempt a date rape. She resists, strikes him with a fire poker, and shatters a mirror before fleeing, leaving her suede pumps behind.

The next morning, Crystal wakes Norah and notices that she does not remember what happened the previous night. The memory remains hazy, leaving Norah unsettled and unsure of what really occurred.

Police at the crime scene question Harry's maid, who admits cleaning the poker and moving the shoes into the closet. Her actions ruin the potential crime scene and hamper the investigation. The case begins to take shape, tying Norah to the incident via the poker.

Investigators question the women who posed for Harry's drawings. Norah learns the reason for the scrutiny and begins seeking a newspaper account of the case. A vague flashback of wielding the poker and shattering the mirror surfaces as a fragment of memory.

Popular columnist Casey Mayo coins the moniker 'Blue Gardenia murderess' for the presumed killer. The moniker captures public attention and fuels the media circus around the case. The investigation gains a powerful, sympathetic voice in Mayo's columns.

That night, Sally Ellis reads aloud that the suspect wore a taffeta dress. Norah burns her own dress in an outdoor incinerator to hide evidence, and is briefly harried by a patrolman for burning after hours, but is let off with a warning. The act deepens the mystery surrounding her involvement.

Casey writes a column urging Norah to surrender to him for fair treatment and offers top legal representation if a 'friend' agrees. He receives bogus calls but recognizes Norah's as genuine. They meet in his office, then go to a diner where Norah describes the amnesiac friend's account of the murder, including Prebble placing the Blue Gardenia recording on the phonograph.

The next day, Norah returns home and confesses to Crystal, who is sympathetic. She tells Crystal that she has spoken with Casey about her supposed amnesiac friend. The relationship between Norah and Casey begins to complicate the investigation.

In the diner, Crystal guides Casey to Norah's booth and reveals her gambit. Casey realizes he had begun to fall in love with Norah and regrets his role in the trap. Later that evening, the police arrive on a tip and arrest Norah.

Casey notes that the airport music matches the recording found with the maid, suggesting Norah's innocence. He and Police Captain Haynes trace the record to Harry's ex-girlfriend Rose Miller at a music shop. The clerk confirms Rose sold the record and calls her out, prompting her to react.

From a hospital bed, Rose confesses that she attacked Harry after learning of his refusal to marry her, while Norah was unconscious. Her confession clears Norah of the charges. The truth behind the murder comes to light, vindicating Norah.

Cleared, Norah is freed and tells Casey she forgives him. Casey, moved by her forgiveness, hints at a future together by tossing his little black book to his friend Al. The story closes on a note of potential romance and renewal.