Backfire 1950

Bob Corey is an American soldier who, badly wounded at the end of World War II, lies in a military hospital undergoing several spine surgeries. He has quietly fallen for Julie Benson, the nurse who cares for him, and his old comrade Steve Connolly arrives with plans to buy a ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. Together, the two men pool their G.I. benefits, totaling $40,000, to start a new life after the war.

On Christmas Eve, a mysterious woman with a Swedish accent appears by Bob’s bedside and conveys shocking news: Steve Connolly has been in a terrible accident, his spine shattered, and he wants to die. She pleads for guidance, but Bob tells her to do nothing and to wait. The woman disappears as Bob slips back into unconsciousness, leaving a wavering thread of doubt about Steve’s fate.

Once Bob is released from the hospital, he is questioned by Captain Garcia, who tells him that Steve is wanted for the murder of Solly Blayne. Bob vehemently denies that Steve could be involved in anything criminal. He then rents the hotel room where Steve had been staying and meets Sybil, the gossiping hotel maid who holds crucial clues. She mentions that on the night of the murder, Blayne visited Connolly and demanded the $40,000 they were owed. Sybil provides Bob with a business card from a funeral home, and he visits the owner, Ben Arno. Arno recollects watching Steve boxing in the ring and notes that Steve was evasive when asked about boxing at his age.

Bob and Julie press Blayne’s widow for details about the night of the killing. She recalls the events, and a doctor arrives too late to save Blayne. Returning to the hotel, Bob dials a number found in Steve’s records, and a woman named Myrna answers. She unintentionally reveals that Steve had a girlfriend named Lysa Radoff, and Bob asks for Lysa’s address, taking a cab to find her. Lysa’s address seems empty, but Bob finds a key and enters. When Bonnie Willis—Lysa’s roommate—arrives home, Bob pretends to be waiting for Lysa. Bonnie recounts how Steve, Lysa, and Bonnie first met at a gambling den run by Lou Walsh, where Steve, unlike the others, treated the women with care, and where Steve and Lysa began their secret romance. The widow’s story confirms that Lysa is the same woman who had visited Bob in the hospital, deepening the web of connections.

Bonnie is soon murdered by an unseen assailant, intensifying the investigation. Captain Garcia and Bob race to learn more as Lee Quong is shot and claims to have information about Steve. They hurry to the hospital to question Quong, who explains that Walsh had set Steve up in a luxurious Bel Air home, and that Quong overheard Steve and Lysa planning to elope. Walsh overheard their conversation and triggered events that led to Steve’s injuries; Quong dies before revealing Walsh’s address.

Evidence mounts that Steve could not have killed Blayne, yet the press connects the Blayne murder with the earlier killing of Bonnie. Julie discovers that the doctor involved is Dr. Herbert Anstead, and she goes to his office in uniform, pretending to retrieve files. Anstead retrieves Steve’s medical file and, when confronted, grabs Julie and hides her. He calls Bob to reveal Steve’s location, and Walsh arrives to shoot Anstead before fleeing.

Bob hurries to Steve’s address but is blocked by Ben Arno, who reveals that he is Walsh. He explains that Steve had lost money to Blayne and had agreed to throw a fight to repay the debt. Arno tells Steve that Lysa realized Steve’s injuries were not an accident and that Lysa had attempted to leave, only to be strangled by Walsh. Arno admits that he began killing anyone who could connect Lysa to Steve or who knew about the accident, and he stalks Bob with a gun. In a final confrontation, Steve—now restrained by braces and plaster—launches himself down the stairs and stops Arno just as the police arrive, and Arno is killed when he tries to flee.

Months later, Steve walks away from the hospital with his injuries repaired, and Bob and his new wife Julie arrive to take him to their ranch in Arizona, where the three of them begin a quiet, guarded life together.