"Somewhere in the Night" presents a complex plot with a major twist connected to past events, which critics have pointed out as a contributing factor to the film's convoluted nature. Director Joseph Mankiewicz had the challenging task of explaining these events rather than showing them, leading to a narrative that requires additional exposition.
The story revolves around John Hodiak's character, George Taylor, an amnesiac war veteran. After being discharged from the hospital, George returns to his last known address, only to find no record of him ever staying there. The plot takes a turn when George exchanges a bag check for a briefcase at Union Station, discovering a gun and a letter from a man named Larry Cravat, who has deposited $5,000 in his name at a local bank.
The central focus of the narrative becomes George's quest to uncover the identity of Larry Cravat. Fearful of potential danger, he chooses not to disclose his amnesia or his predicament to anyone. When the bank manager asks to speak with him regarding the withdrawal request for the $5,000, George leaves without shedding light on Cravat's whereabouts.
With the name "Elite Baths" mentioned in Cravat's letter, George visits the establishment and encounters the owner, leading him to a nearby nightclub called The Cellar. There, his inquiries attract the attention of two thugs who seem intent on causing harm. George seeks refuge in the dressing room of Christy Smith (Nancy Guild), a singer at the club. However, the introduction of a red herring involving Christy's connection to Cravat adds further complexity to the plot without providing concrete answers.
The narrative becomes increasingly convoluted as George encounters a woman named Phyllis (Margo Woode) who attempts to seduce him for unexplained reasons. It is later revealed that Phyllis is associated with a fortune teller and con artist named Anzelmo, aka Dr. Oracle (Fritz Kortner), who wants to locate Cravat. Anzelmo has George attacked and leaves him at Christy's apartment.
The murkiness of the plot is partially clarified when Mel Phillips (Richard Conte), the owner of The Cellar, visits Christy's apartment and arranges a meeting with his friend, Lt. Donald Kendall (Lloyd Nolan). Kendall explains that Larry Cravat was a private investigator who disappeared three years earlier, potentially absconding with $2,000,000 sent to the U. S. by Nazis during the war. An anonymous note leads George to Phyllis and Anzelmo, who provide further pieces of the puzzle, including the fact that the intended recipient of the Nazi loot was murdered. Anzelmo requests money to clear George's name, believing him to be the scapegoat.
George also learns about a man named Michael Conroy, the sole witness to the murder at the Terminal Dock three years ago. A visit to Conroy's daughter Elizabeth (Josephine Hutchinson) provides an emotional monologue about loneliness, adding a poignant touch to the film but doing little to advance the plot.
Suspense heightens as George infiltrates the eerie Lambeth Sanitarium and discovers Conroy, who is on the verge of death after being stabbed. Conroy reveals that he took the suitcase containing the cash and hid it under the pier at the Terminal Dock, introducing questions about how the elements did not damage the suitcase or its contents over three years.
SPOILER ALERT. The film's climax unravels when George discovers that he is, in fact, Larry Cravat after finding a clothing item with a tag bearing the name W. George-Tailor in the suitcase. George and Christy are shot at on the pier but manage to escape to a homeless mission. George entrusts the suitcase to the mission's director with instructions to deliver it to Lt. Kendall. This leads George and Christy to confront Anzelmo, who initially doubts George's claim but ultimately turns on Phyllis, attempting to frame her for the murder. However, Mel Phillips intervenes and subdues Phyllis, though the scene may lack conviction in its execution.
Ultimately, Phillips reveals that he murdered the man who was meant to collect the suitcase and agrees to take George and Christy back to the Terminal Dock, where he claims the suitcase can be found. Lt. Kendall intercepts Phillips at the mission, wounds him, and takes him into custody.
One weakness of the narrative lies in Anzelmo's peripheral role, as he possesses only partial knowledge of the events from three years ago. Additionally, the film fails to explain how Cravat (George) convinced the murder victim that he was Phillips, and how he subsequently dropped the suitcase for Conroy to find. Despite John Hodiak's wooden performance and the convoluted plot, "Somewhere in the Night" still manages to entertain as a thriller.
The story revolves around John Hodiak's character, George Taylor, an amnesiac war veteran. After being discharged from the hospital, George returns to his last known address, only to find no record of him ever staying there. The plot takes a turn when George exchanges a bag check for a briefcase at Union Station, discovering a gun and a letter from a man named Larry Cravat, who has deposited $5,000 in his name at a local bank.
The central focus of the narrative becomes George's quest to uncover the identity of Larry Cravat. Fearful of potential danger, he chooses not to disclose his amnesia or his predicament to anyone. When the bank manager asks to speak with him regarding the withdrawal request for the $5,000, George leaves without shedding light on Cravat's whereabouts.
With the name "Elite Baths" mentioned in Cravat's letter, George visits the establishment and encounters the owner, leading him to a nearby nightclub called The Cellar. There, his inquiries attract the attention of two thugs who seem intent on causing harm. George seeks refuge in the dressing room of Christy Smith (Nancy Guild), a singer at the club. However, the introduction of a red herring involving Christy's connection to Cravat adds further complexity to the plot without providing concrete answers.
The narrative becomes increasingly convoluted as George encounters a woman named Phyllis (Margo Woode) who attempts to seduce him for unexplained reasons. It is later revealed that Phyllis is associated with a fortune teller and con artist named Anzelmo, aka Dr. Oracle (Fritz Kortner), who wants to locate Cravat. Anzelmo has George attacked and leaves him at Christy's apartment.
The murkiness of the plot is partially clarified when Mel Phillips (Richard Conte), the owner of The Cellar, visits Christy's apartment and arranges a meeting with his friend, Lt. Donald Kendall (Lloyd Nolan). Kendall explains that Larry Cravat was a private investigator who disappeared three years earlier, potentially absconding with $2,000,000 sent to the U. S. by Nazis during the war. An anonymous note leads George to Phyllis and Anzelmo, who provide further pieces of the puzzle, including the fact that the intended recipient of the Nazi loot was murdered. Anzelmo requests money to clear George's name, believing him to be the scapegoat.
George also learns about a man named Michael Conroy, the sole witness to the murder at the Terminal Dock three years ago. A visit to Conroy's daughter Elizabeth (Josephine Hutchinson) provides an emotional monologue about loneliness, adding a poignant touch to the film but doing little to advance the plot.
Suspense heightens as George infiltrates the eerie Lambeth Sanitarium and discovers Conroy, who is on the verge of death after being stabbed. Conroy reveals that he took the suitcase containing the cash and hid it under the pier at the Terminal Dock, introducing questions about how the elements did not damage the suitcase or its contents over three years.
SPOILER ALERT. The film's climax unravels when George discovers that he is, in fact, Larry Cravat after finding a clothing item with a tag bearing the name W. George-Tailor in the suitcase. George and Christy are shot at on the pier but manage to escape to a homeless mission. George entrusts the suitcase to the mission's director with instructions to deliver it to Lt. Kendall. This leads George and Christy to confront Anzelmo, who initially doubts George's claim but ultimately turns on Phyllis, attempting to frame her for the murder. However, Mel Phillips intervenes and subdues Phyllis, though the scene may lack conviction in its execution.
Ultimately, Phillips reveals that he murdered the man who was meant to collect the suitcase and agrees to take George and Christy back to the Terminal Dock, where he claims the suitcase can be found. Lt. Kendall intercepts Phillips at the mission, wounds him, and takes him into custody.
One weakness of the narrative lies in Anzelmo's peripheral role, as he possesses only partial knowledge of the events from three years ago. Additionally, the film fails to explain how Cravat (George) convinced the murder victim that he was Phillips, and how he subsequently dropped the suitcase for Conroy to find. Despite John Hodiak's wooden performance and the convoluted plot, "Somewhere in the Night" still manages to entertain as a thriller.