Double Exposure (1944)

Richard Gaines is publisher of Flick magazine. He is a health nut, and insists upon the truth in his publication. Chester Morris is his editor. Gaines has seen a picture by Nancy Kelly in a small paper in Iowa.  Phillip Terry wants to marry her, and it turns out that the picture they sent in was faked. She takes the job and moves to the big city. Morris, a wolf, immediately takes her under his wing to teach her the ropes, but she successfully resists his advances. She pretends that Terry is staying in her apartment, pretending that he is her brother.

Charles Arnt is a millionaire who goes through wives regularly. Kelly goes to interview him after his latest wife tried to poison herself.  She comes in while Kelly is there and throws a fit, and Kelly knocks her out, after which she takes another great picture of her inert form. When she gets back to her apartment, she discovers that Terry actually has come to town. She explains about the brother situation, and he does not like it, but agrees to play along for the sake of her job. They double date, with comic results. Arnt is at the restaurant, and cuts in for a dance with Kelly - then pops the question - as soon as he divorces his current wife. The current wife shows up just then and there is a scene. Morris takes her home and kisses her goodnight, but Terry shows up to break up the scene. Morris gives Terry a job.

Gaines puts Kelly on the Mystery of the Week assignment. She and Terry plan out a staged photo shoot, not knowing about Gaines' truthfulness mandate. They go to Arnt's apartment for the shoot. She borrows some of his wife's clothes to be the model herself. She resolves to tell Morris about Terry, but does not have to because he finds a letter in her things that spills the beans. Morris angrily leaves. He manages to get Terry on a ship that is headed to Russia. The Mystery of the Week issue sells like hotcakes.

Arnt's wife has been murdered. A detective arrives to ask how Kelly got a picture of the murder before the police did - but Terry is headed to Russia and cannot testify. Morris talks her into keep her mouth closed for the publicity the paper fan get from it, but she ends up in jail. Morris tells the DA the picture was a fake, but he does not believe it, and lists all the evidence against Kelly. Morris says he will produce Terry, but the ship is reported sunk and he is not listed among the survivors. Morris meets Arnt in the bar, but he is no help. So Morris breaks into his apartment and takes a picture in order to fake a composite for the DA that implicates Arnt. However, what he guessed was the truth, and Arnt confesses. Then Morris tells her that he tricked Terry to sailing on the ship and thus was responsible for his death. Just then Terry walks in and slugs him, but he is now married.





Morris, Kelly, Terry