The Wrong Man

Christopher Emanuel 'Manny' Balestrero returns home after working a late shift at the Stork Club in New York City. His wife Rose is awake and confides in him about her toothache and their struggle to pay for the dental procedure.

During their discussion, Manny suggests they can borrow against Rose's insurance policy to pay for her dental work. This plan gives them hope to manage their financial difficulties.

Before heading to the insurance company, Manny visits his sick father. This visit highlights Manny's responsibility and concern for his family amidst the stress of their financial situation.

As Manny returns home to give music lessons to his sons, he is arrested on his doorstep by police who have been tipped off by insurance clerks. They do not inform him of the reason for his arrest and take him to the station.

At the police station, officers question Manny about his finances, suspecting he has motives for robbery due to his financial struggles. They take him to various stores that had been robbed to identify him.

Witnesses from the robbery incidents are brought in to identify Manny. Although many are unsure, they take Manny's handwriting as a key piece of evidence against him as his printing resembles that of the robber's.

Manny is formally booked on charges of assault and robbery after mistakenly misspelling a word during handwriting analysis. He finds himself fingerprinted and put in a cell, feeling frightened and confused.

At home, Rose grows increasingly anxious over Manny's absence, suspecting an accident. Family members gather, and they begin to await notification of his situation from the police.

Manny is brought to felony court where a trial date is set. Despite his attorney's requests for leniency, the judge sets bail at $7,500, leading to further despair for Manny and his family.

After securing Manny's bail, his wife Rose contacts lawyer Frank D. O'Connor. He urges Manny to remember where he was during the time of the alleged robberies to build an alibi.

While searching for witnesses from a vacation they took at a resort during one of the robbery dates, Manny and Rose discover they cannot locate the key witnesses, making their defense more difficult.

Manny recalls suffering from a toothache during another robbery, and his dentist confirms his swollen jaw at that time. This evidence could help his defense since witnesses did not mention a swollen jaw.

As the stress of the situation takes a toll on Rose, she becomes depressed and irrationally blames herself for Manny's troubles. Manny, concerned for her well-being, seeks medical help.

Manny's trial begins and witnesses are called to testify against him. Unfortunately, his attorney shows ineffective defense strategies, leading to a mistrial due to the jurors' biases against Manny.

After another deli robbery, the true perpetrator is identified and confirmed by insurance clerks. Manny's charges are finally dropped, but he finds Rose unresponsive in the sanitarium, leaving him heartbroken.