The Man Who Wasn't There

In 1949 Santa Rosa, California, Ed Crane finds himself trapped in a monotonous existence. He is married to Doris, who struggles with alcoholism, and spends his weekdays working in a barbershop owned by his brother-in-law, Frank.

One fateful day, a customer named Creighton Tolliver approaches Ed with an enticing offer to invest $10,000 in a new dry cleaning business. This proposal ignites a spark of hope in Ed, driving him to consider changing the course of his life.

In a desperate attempt to alter his situation, Ed decides to anonymously blackmail Doris's boss, Big Dave Brewster. He suspects Brewster is having an affair with Doris and believes that exposing him will force a change in their lives.

As Brewster learns about the blackmail, he starts siphoning money illegally from his department store to appease Ed's demands. This desperate act reveals his increasingly shady dealings as he tries to maintain his reputation.

Tensions escalate when Brewster confronts Tolliver, leading to a violent altercation that ends with Tolliver being murdered. Ed's involvement could soon spiral into chaos as he becomes entangled in this criminal underworld.

While facing Brewster at the department store, Ed finds himself in a life-threatening situation. In an act of self-defense, he fatally stabs Brewster with a cigar knife, marking a pivotal point in Ed's downward spiral.

As investigators delve deeper into the chaos, they mistakenly believe Doris is responsible for Brewster's murder and arrest her for embezzlement. This unfortunate turn of events leaves Ed scrambling to protect his wife.

To help Doris navigate the legal mess, Ed hires flashy defense attorney Freddy Riedenschneider. His extravagant lifestyle raises alarms, but Ed feels desperate and mortgages the barbershop to finance Doris’s defense.

On the eve of her trial, devastating news arrives as Doris tragically takes her own life in jail. To compound the issue, it is revealed that she was pregnant, a revelation that adds to the desolation besieging Ed.

Seeking solace, Ed visits his friend’s young daughter, Rachel 'Birdy' Abundas, to encourage her budding piano dreams. However, this encounter takes a dramatic turn when Birdy's music teacher harshly criticizes her talent, shattering Ed’s aspirations for her.

Things take a turn for the worse when Birdy makes an advance on Ed, causing him to crash his car in shock. This incident further complicates Ed's already tumultuous life and marks yet another night of turmoil.

Ed awakens in the hospital only to discover that he has been arrested for Tolliver's murder. Police believe he manipulated Doris into embezzling funds and killed Tolliver to cover his tracks, deepening Ed's predicament.

Despite his attempts to secure defenses, chaos ensues during the trial when Frank accuses Ed, resulting in a mistrial. With no solid defense left, Ed pleads for mercy but receives a death sentence, leaving him to confront his fate.

On death row, Ed channels his experiences into writing a manuscript for pulp magazines, seeking an outlet for his turmoil. As the clock ticks down to his execution, this creative endeavor offers a semblance of catharsis.

In his last moments before facing the electric chair, Ed witnesses a strange UFO outside his prison window. He reflects on his choices with an unexpected calmness, envisioning a reunion with Doris in the afterlife, free from earthly flaws.