The House Across the Bay

Year: 1940

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Archie Mayo

Drama

Nightclub owner Steve Larwitt’s empire collapses under tax evasion charges and rival attacks. His wife Brenda, urged by his lawyer Slant Kolma—who loves her—testifies, sending Steve to ten years in Alcatraz. While he’s imprisoned, Brenda moves near him and rebuffs airplane builder Tim Nolan, who knows nothing of her past.

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The House Across the Bay (1940) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of The House Across the Bay (1940), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Steve Larwitt George Raft is a formidable gangster who runs a glittering nightclub and pursues Brenda Bentley Joan Bennett, one of his talented singers. They marry and briefly enjoy the high life, savoring the glamor and power that come with his success. But trouble emerges when a setup lands him in racketeering charges, and he is sent to Alcatraz for ten years. Brenda suspects the involvement of her elusive lawyer, Slant Kolma Lloyd Nolan in the scheme, and she rents an apartment across San Francisco Bay with a window that looks straight toward the prison.

There she befriends Mary Bogel Gladys George, whose own husband is also behind bars but who still longs for life beyond the bars. One evening, a man named Tim Nolan Walter Pidgeon arrives in Brenda’s orbit and quickly becomes attracted to her, igniting a tense triangle. Brenda finds Tim’s attention flattering but remains haunted by thoughts of Steve.

Meanwhile, jealousy gnaws at Slant Kolma Lloyd Nolan, who tries to pressure Brenda further, even selling off her jewelry to finance a questionable defense. He spots Brenda with Tim in a casual restaurant, a moment that feeds his paranoia and the room’s gossip. Brenda confides in Mary about her mounting troubles, and she returns to singing to earn money while keeping Steve’s absence in mind. When she visits Steve in jail, Kolma waits on the sidelines, ready to pull strings.

Tim continues to pursue Brenda, but she longs for fidelity and clings to the hope that her love can help Steve endure prison. All the while Kolma’s machinations loom, and the truth about the missing money refuses to stay buried. The moment of reckoning arrives when Steve learns of Brenda and Tim’s entanglement. Desperation pushes Steve to escape, and he follows Brenda, intent on confronting her. Tim intervenes, revealing that Kolma orchestrated the trouble and siphoned their money. Steve seeks out the lawyer, confronts him, and kills him, a brutal act that sets in motion the final chase. He returns to the bay waterfront, dives into the water, and, with the prison posse nipping at his heels, is captured as they close in.

Last Updated: October 07, 2025 at 09:06

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