The Truth About Murder (1946)

Morgan Conway (and his six packs a day cigarette voice) is the District Attorney. Bonita Granville, his girlfriend, works in his office, but has not been given a chance, he having hoped that she would get tired of the job and marry him. She resigns. She goes to work for Edward Norris, who has been drinking heavily. She finds Norris' wife (June Clayworth) in company with Gerald Mohr, a bookie. Clayworth tells her that Norris has moved out. Conway goes to see Clayworth to urge her to give Norris another chance. Donald Douglas stops at Norris' apartment to tell him that Clayworth and he are in love. Conway and Granville were supposed to have had dinner with Norris, but when they get to his place they find Clayworth murdered.

Conway has Norris arrested, and Granville becomes his attorney. She borrows the key to the apartment from Douglas and goes there to look for evidence. While she is there, Tommy Noonan, the photographer, comes in. She accidentally lets the water out of the sink and finds a gun, but the police come in as she is pointing it at Noonan. Conway finds a false fingernail, and traces it to Rita Corday, who is the wife of one of Clayworth's male models (Michael St. Angel) with whom Clayworth used to flirt. Douglas and Granville come in just before Corday is ready to talk. Conway tells her that the murder weapon had belonged to Norris. They drive to the house of Corday and Conway goes in to interview her. While he is there, St. Angel drives off and Granville follows him. She calls Corday, but Conway has left. St. Michael has gone to the office of Mohr, atop a warehouse. Mohr says he sold it to Clayworth and refuses to pay off, so St. Angel tries to blackmail him. Granville steps on a cat and Mohr's man grabs her, but she later escapes and meets Conway with Douglas at a nightclub. They go to Corday's house, but she is shot just as she is about to name the culprit.

Granville comes up with idea of throwing a party for everybody concerned, and giving them all a lie detector test. Douglas shows up early for the party. Granville tells him about what they are going to do. She lets him do a practice run and realizes that he is the murderer. He draws a gun on her, but Conway and the police arrive just in time.




Noonan


Corday