On trial for murder, Larry Ballentine regurgitates an unbelievable story. He recounts how he philanders with other women while his rich, loving wife Greta tries to keep him in line. According to Larry, his girlfriend Verna dies accidentally in a car crash and his distraught wife tosses herself over a cliff after he runs out on her. The jury has a tough decision on this one.
Written by
Gary Jackson
Plot Synopsis:
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At his murder trial, Larry Ballentine tells the jury how his supposed victim, his wife, Greta, met her fate. He begins by recounting how during an illicit rendezvous in New York, his lover, Janice Bell, tells him that she wants out of their affair. When she reveals that she is moving to Montreal that night, Larry declares that he is leaving his wealthy wife Greta and going with her. As he is packing, however, Greta calmly informs him that she has known about the affair and his plan. Furthermore, to make him stay, she has rented a house in Beverly Hills, bought him a partnership in an investment brokerage firm, and made reservations on a cross-country train. The money-loving Larry is unable to resist Greta's bait and, while vowing to be faithful to her, leaves Janice in the lurch.
Once in California, however, Larry finds himself attracted to Verna Carlson, a secretary in his firm. The seductive Verna openly tells Larry that she is a gold digger and pursues him with wit and charm. Despite his loyalty pledge to Greta, Larry begins seeing Verna, whose former admirer, Trenton, is his partner in the firm. Larry's late nights are eventually noticed by Greta, who confronts her husband and tells him that she has sold his interest in the brokerage firm and bought a ranch in the mountains. Greta also confesses that, despite his infidelities, she won't divorce him and still intends to support him as long as he is with her. Once again drawn by Greta's money, Larry agrees to move and is rebuffed firmly by Verna.
At their isolated ranch, Greta flourishes, finding companionship with her devoted horse and enjoying rides in a hidden mountain valley. Larry, however, grows more and more lonely and restless, and when Greta suggests that he arrange for a Los Angeles architect to build a guest house, he jumps at the chance to leave the ranch. Larry seizes the opportunity to rendezvous with Verna while in Los Angeles. She agrees to run away with him to Reno, where he can get a quick divorce, only after he assures her he'll have enough money. Larry's plan is to write a $25,000 check made out to cash on his joint account with Greta. Verna would then cash the check at work making it look like he is just buying securities for Greta.
As prearranged, Verna takes the bus to the mountain town and reunites with Larry. On their way to Reno, Verna reveals to Larry that she was unable to carry out the theft, having fallen genuinely in love with him. Larry rips up the check, accepts their poverty with a smile, and places a dime store wedding ring on Verna's finger.
Larry and Verna's happiness is short-lived, however, because a truck collides with them on the highway. Although Larry is thrown to safety, Verna is trapped in the car, which bursts into flames. When the authorities misidentify Verna's charred body as Greta's because of the wedding ring, Larry decides to use their confusion to his advantage and corroborates their assumptions. He returns immediately to Greta's ranch intent on shooting her in order to maintain the story of her death in the crash so he can collect from her estate. However, he discovers that Greta has committed suicide by throwing herself into her favorite ravine and he conceals the body. Assuming nobody will miss Verna because she had no family, he feels safe from any further suspicion, but still is thrown into an emotional tailspin.
To ease his depression, Larry travels around Latin America and runs into Janice in Jamaica. After rekindling their romance, Larry is shocked to learn that Janice was sent to Jamaica by Trenton who, along with Verna's roommate, did notice Verna's disappearance and has been looking for her. Despite her ruse, Larry stays with Janice, who sincerely believes in his transformation.
Larry denies knowing where Verna is but this lie unravels when, Mr. Thomason, the owner of the mountain store where Larry met Verna, talks with Trenton and the police. They now believe that Larry killed Verna because she was blackmailing him and hid her body on the ranch before driving off with his wife Greta who then died in the accident. Larry denies killing Verna but still goes along with the falsehood that it was Greta who died in the accident. The police return to the ranch with Larry and a search warrant expecting to find Verna's body. When they find Greta's unrecognizable corpse, Larry doesn't argue when the police believe it to be Verna and charge him with her murder.
Back at his trial, Larry awaits his fate from the jury. Janice visits him to say she believes him and perhaps he has also convinced the jury. However, Larry says even he thinks his story is improbable and they won't believe him. Despondent and certain he has no future, he tries to jump out the courthouse window just before the verdict is read, but a bailiff shoots him dead. After the judge restores order, the clerk reads out the verdict to complete the record: the jury finds him "not guilty."
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