Dead Man’s Eyes 1944

Painter Dave Stuart Lon Chaney Jr. is blinded by his jealous model, Tanya Czoraki Acquanetta, who claims she mistakenly switched Dave’s eyewash with acid. Dad Hayden Edward Fielding, the father of his fiancée Heather Hayden Jean Parker, offers an operation to restore his sight, but Stuart will have to wait until Hayden dies. The benefactor dies a premature death and Stuart becomes a suspect.

Dave tells Heather he no longer loves her and wishes to break their engagement because he considers his blindness a burden to her.

Tanya volunteers to be Dave’s caregiver as she has secretly been in love with him and sees his handicap as an opportunity to have him to herself.

Even though Dave is accused of killing Dad Hayden, doctors transplant Hayden’s corneas into Dave, since it was Dad’s wish that his eyes go to Dave after his death. Before the operation can be performed, Tanya steals the corneas thinking that Dave will never return to Heather if he remains blind. Paul Kelly investigates and confronts her.

Dr. Alan Bittaker [Paul Kelly] suspects that Tanya is the person who took the corneas and confronts her.

Tanya admits she took the corneas so that she could continue to care for Dave, but that she doesn’t really want him to remain blind.

Dr. Bittaker takes the eyes to the hospital and the transplant is performed. At first, the transplant seems to be a failure as Dave continues to be blind.

Heather suspects her other suitor, Nick Phillips George Meeker, of being her father’s killer though Nick vehemently denies it.

Dave begins to suspect his former model Tanya of the killing, after initially defending her, and has her followed.

Tanya calls Heather saying she knows who the killer might be, but before she can tell her she is murdered by an unknown assailant.

The police chief, who still suspects Dave of murdering Dad Hayden, confronts Dave about Tanya’s death Police Capt. Drury.

Dave returns to the scene of Dad Hayden’s killing looking for clues. He is attacked by a mysterious man but manages to fight him off and escape.

Heather enters the room after Dave runs out and the attacker is revealed to be Nick Phillips George Meeker who accuses Dave of the killings.

Dave asks Dr. Alan Bittaker [Paul Kelly] to come to his apartment and tells him that he knows he is the killer of both Dad Hayden and Tanya. Dave tells him that Alan killed Hayden so that Dave would regain his sight and return to Heather so that Alan could marry Tanya, as he had been in love with her.

When Tanya realized Alan was the murderer, Bittaker killed her to save himself from the gas chamber.

After Alan admits his guilt to Dave he tries killing him with his cane, the same cane Alan used to kill Hayden and Tanya.

As Alan swings his cane at Dave’s head, Dave jumps up and stops him, revealing that his sight had indeed returned.

The police then storm in, having heard Alan’s confession, and arrest him.

Heather enters the room and falls into Dave’s arms and they profess that they still love each other as Alan is led away.