Midnight Manhunt 1945

Master criminal Joe Wells, George E. Stone, is shot and left for dead in his hotel room. He rouses himself and wanders into the street before finally expiring in an alley beside a wax museum. Reporter Sue Gallagher, Ann Savage, who lives upstairs from the museum, is first on the scene, and conceals the body among the wax exhibits in order to get a scoop. She is soon in competition with fellow reporter Pete Willis, William Gargan.

The museum’s caretaker, Clutch, Leo Gorcey, discovers the corpse, and fears a troublesome police inquiry. He persuades Mr. Miggs, the elderly museum owner, Charles Halton, to help him take it away and dump it in a railyard.

The killer Jelke, George Zucco, follows the trail of blood from Wells’ room to the wax museum, where he confronts Sue. He discovers that she is writing a story about her discovery of Wells’ body, and demands to know where she has hidden it. When police arrive at the museum, Jelke knocks Sue unconscious and escapes undetected.

After Sue learns where Clutch and Miggs have taken the body, Jelke returns and forces her to accompany him to the railyard. When they arrive, the body is missing, having been moved by Pete to prevent Sue from getting the story. After much additional subterfuge, Jelke and the body are turned over to the police. Pete and Sue, who have been increasingly attracted to each other, share credit for the story they give to the newspaper.