***SPOILERS*** At his retirement party from the Chicago PD Capt. Clint McArthur, Stephen Chase, admits he has doubts about a man he arrested and sent to the electric chair the mosey and harmless haberdasher Walter Novotny, Robert H. Harris. McArthur now feels that Novotny my well be innocent of the murder of fellow clothing store owner Ralph Orville that he scheduled to fry for, on the hot seat, within the next 48 hours. Let. Det. Frank Ballinger, Lee Marvin, takes a personal interest in all this being McArthur's good friend and tries to get in touch with the person who's testimony Lisa Warren, June Vincent, convicted Novotny.
Finding Lisa very uncooperative in not telling the truth in what she saw the night that Orville was murdered Ballinger soon realizes that she's covering up for this hood mob strong arm man Joey Devon, Mark Roberts, who seems to have something on her that she's willing to let an innocent man go to the chair to keep secret. Doing a little arm twisting as well as researching Ballinger finds out that Devon was once back before WWII Lisa's boyfriend who was with her where she was involved in a hit and run accident that left her victim paralyzed for life!
***SPOILERS*** Lying a guilt trip on Lisa in her now soon to be responsible for Novotny pending execution and earlier putting strong arm man Devon in the hospital, by breaking his arm, when he tried to pull a gun on him Ballinger has Lisa finally comes to her senses and admit the truth freeing Novotny from being juiced with some 2,000 volts of electricity. All Lisa was trying to do was prevent Devon, who in fact had Orville murdered for not paying him protection money,from making her past public and ruining her husband's standing in the California social scene! That would have him, among other things, kicked out of the excursive country club he's a member in good standings off. Which seemed to be for Lisa, until Ballinger enlightened her, far more important then the taking by the state of an innocent man's life!
Finding Lisa very uncooperative in not telling the truth in what she saw the night that Orville was murdered Ballinger soon realizes that she's covering up for this hood mob strong arm man Joey Devon, Mark Roberts, who seems to have something on her that she's willing to let an innocent man go to the chair to keep secret. Doing a little arm twisting as well as researching Ballinger finds out that Devon was once back before WWII Lisa's boyfriend who was with her where she was involved in a hit and run accident that left her victim paralyzed for life!
***SPOILERS*** Lying a guilt trip on Lisa in her now soon to be responsible for Novotny pending execution and earlier putting strong arm man Devon in the hospital, by breaking his arm, when he tried to pull a gun on him Ballinger has Lisa finally comes to her senses and admit the truth freeing Novotny from being juiced with some 2,000 volts of electricity. All Lisa was trying to do was prevent Devon, who in fact had Orville murdered for not paying him protection money,from making her past public and ruining her husband's standing in the California social scene! That would have him, among other things, kicked out of the excursive country club he's a member in good standings off. Which seemed to be for Lisa, until Ballinger enlightened her, far more important then the taking by the state of an innocent man's life!
