The House on Carroll Street

Emily Crane is fired from Life magazine after refusing to name colleagues to HUAC. With her journalism career derailed, she takes a part-time job as a companion/reader to an elderly woman. The turn of events sets her on a path into a dangerous political intrigue.

From an open window, Emily overhears a loud confrontation in a neighboring house. She identifies the participants as the Senate prosecutor Ray Salwen and a German-speaking man who is interpreting, Stefan. The overheard dispute becomes the spark for a dangerous investigation.

Emily seeks information from Stefan on the street, but he rebuffs her inquiries. Undeterred, she follows him toward a cemetery, hoping to press him for details. The pursuit foreshadows the turn of the case toward darker events.

In the cemetery, Stefan is confronted and panics when two immigration agents appear. A knife-wielding assassin murders him before he can reveal more. Emily witnesses the murder and is left with a widening mystery.

Police discover a list of four names in Stefan's pocket. Emily insists that they search the house where she overheard the argument, hoping for clues. This leads the investigation deeper into the network surrounding Salwen.

Emily searches the house but the assassin reappears; FBI agent Cochran intercepts and Subdues him during a scuffle. The assassin escapes, and Cochran escorts Emily home, keeping a wary eye on the danger surrounding her.

Emily picks up a book with a woman's name and a date written inside. Cochran and Hackett deduce that the entry refers to a ship destined for New York, and they realize it will arrive the next day. The book becomes a crucial clue linking Stefan's list to a fresh arrival.

At the port, the ship's arrival is observed by Emily and Cochran, with government officials present to receive passengers. The scene signals that the list includes people who will embed themselves in the United States through high-profile positions. The tension rises as the operation moves forward.

Emily and Cochran tail the passengers to a wedding reception where Teperson, one of the names on Stefan's list, speaks fluent English and is identified. They learn the group plans to take a train to Chicago the following evening. The net closes around a broader smuggling operation.

Bodyguards intercept Emily to bring her to Salwen at a restaurant, signaling a direct confrontation. Cochran observes the exchange and prepares for further action with Hackett.

Cochran reviews intelligence photos showing that the men on the list are Nazi war criminals smuggled into the United States for secret anti-Soviet programs. Salwen hints at a larger motive, underscoring the stakes of Emily's investigations.

Emily returns home to find a bomb rigged to her kitchen stove; Cochran tries to disarm it, and they narrowly escape the blast. The explosion knocks Cochran out of the investigation for the time being.

Cochran defies orders and meets Emily at Grand Central Terminal to intercept the criminals as they depart. The assassin makes another attempt on Emily, but Cochran and Hackett subdue him.

Salwen corners Emily in the Grand Central Terminal ceiling framework; when he tries to restrain her, she kicks him off a catwalk, sending him plunging to his death. The danger ends for the main targets as the criminals are exposed.

On the train, Cochran arrests the party and reveals Teperson is a physician who performed deadly Auschwitz experiments. Emily learns Cochran will be transferred to Montana, setting an uncertain future for them.