On the Night of the Fire 1939

Will Kobling [Ralph Richardson] is a struggling Tyneside barber with mounting financial trouble. One evening, on impulse, he steals £100 from a factory whose window has been left ajar, hoping this money will mark a fresh start for him and his wife, Kit Kobling [Diana Wynyard]. But their hopes are dashed when Kit confesses to being in debt to the local draper, Pilleger [Henry Oscar], who has been pressuring her to settle it. Much of the stolen cash must go toward this debt.

Pilleger banks the money, only to learn from the police that the serial numbers match those stolen from the factory. He professes himself innocent, claiming not to know which of his customers the notes came from, and the police are forced to let the matter drop. Undeterred, Pilleger resorts to blackmail, demanding £3 per week in exchange for his silence. Kobling is horrified by this indefinite burden, yet feels obliged to consent.

As time passes and cash flow dries up, Kobling decides to challenge Pilleger. An opportunity arises when a fire breaks out, momentarily distracting the police and the crowds. He confronts Pilleger, and a fight ends with Pilleger’s death. The police seize on Kobling as a suspect and employ psychological tactics to break him, but he remains stubbornly silent and sends Kit and their baby to stay with her sister for safety.

Kobling is later seen at Pilleger’s store on the night of the murder by Lizzie Crane [Mary Clare], a well-known eccentric who recounts what she saw. The public shuns Kobling and calls for justice, but the police are not convinced that Lizzie’s testimony will hold up as solid evidence. Under mounting pressure, Kobling teeters on the edge of collapse, and the final blow comes when he is told that Kit has died in a road accident.