welles michael o hara in lady shanghai (1947)
on eve of crime, sydney broome (ted de corsia), private investigator has been following elsa on husband s orders, confronts grisby. broome has learned of grisby s plan murder bannister, frame michael, , escape pretending have been murdered. grisby shoots broome , leaves him dead. unaware of has happened, michael proceeds night s arrangement , sees grisby off on motorboat before shooting gun air draw attention himself. meanwhile, broome, injured alive, asks elsa help. warns grisby intends kill husband.
michael makes phone call elsa, finds broome on other end of line. broome warns michael grisby setting him up. michael rushes bannister s office in time see bannister alive, police removing grisby s body premises. police find evidence implicating michael, including confession, , take him away.
at trial, bannister acts michael s attorney. feels can win case if michael pleads justifiable homicide. during trial, bannister learns of wife s relationship michael. takes pleasure in suspicion lose case. bannister indicates knows real killer s identity. before verdict, michael escapes feigning suicide attempt. elsa follows. michael , hide in chinatown theater. elsa calls chinese friends meet her. michael , elsa wait , pretend watch show, michael realizes killed grisby. elsa s chinese friends arrive , take michael, unconscious, abandoned fun house. when wakes, realizes grisby , elsa had been planning murder bannister , frame him crime, broome s involvement ruined scheme , elsa had kill grisby own protection.
the film features unique climactic shootout in hall of mirrors involving multitude of false , real mirrored images in magic mirror maze, in elsa mortally wounded , bannister killed. heartbroken, michael leaves presuming events have unfolded since trial clear him of crimes. maybe d forget her. maybe d die trying .
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