They Won’t Believe Me

With the prosecution rested, the defense presents Larry's version of events. He begins to recount his past, signaling that the truth will be shaped by memory as much as by evidence. The courtroom moment sets the tone for a film built on flashbacks and personal perspective.

In a flashback, Larry encounters magazine writer Janice Bell. What starts innocently soon blossoms into deeper feelings, complicating his existing marriage. The spark of an affair becomes a key motive in the film's downward spiral.

Janice gets a job transfer and Greta refuses to divorce. Greta buys a quarter-interest in a Los Angeles brokerage for Larry and secures a Beverly Hills home for them, signaling a life built on wealth and security. The foundation of Larry's loyalties begins to crack.

At the brokerage, Trenton scolds Larry for neglecting a rich client, while Verna Carlson uses a forged installment to insinuate herself into Larry's life. Verna is portrayed as a gold-digger, manipulating both Trenton and Larry. The affair with Verna adds another layer of danger to Larry's already complicated situation.

Greta learns of the affair yet again but won't seek a divorce. She sells out in L.A. and buys an old Spanish rancho in the mountains, creating an isolated home. Larry tolerates the change, while Greta embraces the rural life with renewed fervor.

On the pretext of calling an architect, Larry arranges a rendezvous with Verna from a nearby general store. He writes a large check for Verna to cash and leaves a farewell note for Greta, signaling a potential departure from his marriage. Verna buys a cheap wedding ring to secure her place in his future.

That night, a tire blows on the road and a truck swerves into their path. Verna is killed and burned beyond recognition. Larry wakes in a hospital with a concussion, and Verna's wedding ring leads authorities to misidentify her as Greta; Larry chooses not to correct the error.

After recovering, Larry returns to the ranch to eliminate Greta before she can reappear alive. The house is empty, and he finds a goodbye note at the top of a cliff where Greta's body lies at the bottom. He disposes of Greta's corpse by dumping it into the dark pool below the falls.

Depressed, Larry borrows against the estate and tours South America for solace. In Jamaica, he unexpectedly runs into Janice, they reconcile, and she persuades him to return to Los Angeles. The rekindled relationship becomes a critical hinge in the plot.

Arriving early at Janice's hotel, Larry sees Trenton go into her room. He learns that Trenton believes Verna was blackmailing Larry and that Trenton had enticed Janice to lure him back stateside. Trenton's version paints Larry as Verna's killer, setting up the murder trial’s key accusation.

Trenton calls in the police; Greta's decomposed body is found, and officials assume it is Verna's. A storekeeper testifies that Larry and Verna drove away together on the day both disappeared. The police accept Trenton's version, and Larry is tried for Verna's murder.

During the jury's deliberations, Janice visits Larry and maintains his innocence, promising to wait for him. He tells her the verdict matters little to him because he has already judged himself. The emotional tension underscores the personal cost of the trial.

In the courtroom, the verdict is about to be read. Overwhelmed, Larry rushes to an open window and tries to jump, but a bailiff shoots him dead. The bailiff then declares the verdict: Not guilty, leaving Larry's fate and Janice's vigil unresolved.