Big Jim McLain 1952

Mission to Hawaii

HUAC investigators Jim McLain and Mal Baxter are dispatched to Hawaii to track Communist Party activities and gather evidence for convictions. Their quest leads them to uncover connections to insurance fraud, saboteurs, and labor-union infiltrators at the Honolulu docks.

Lead from Red McQueen

A local newspaper reporter, Red McQueen, provides crucial information that points the investigators toward Willie Nomaka, the former Party treasurer. The lead shifts the focus from routine dock noise to deeper party involvement. Nancy Vallon soon becomes a key ally as the case unfolds.

Search for Willie Nomaka

McLain and Baxter pursue Willie Nomaka, who is under the care of Dr. Gelster. Nomaka’s case brings in Gelster’s secretary, Nancy Vallon, whose help becomes crucial. McLain’s growing attraction to Nancy begins to intertwine romance with the investigation.

Nomaka vanishes during treatment

Nomaka disappears while ostensibly being treated for an induced nervous breakdown. The disappearance leaves the agents with a renewed sense of urgency and questions about who is protecting him. The case appears to be slipping away just as a breakthrough seems near.

Madge and the ex-wife provide clues

Nomaka's landlady, the flirtatious Madge, assists in the investigation, while Nomaka's ex-wife offers critical background about his past. Their information helps frame the broader Communist network and the danger surrounding Nomaka. The alliance broadens the investigation beyond medical treatment.

Nomaka is found at the sanatorium

Nomaka is located under an alias at a Honolulu sanatorium, but he is heavily drugged and unable to speak. The state of his condition suggests the party is attempting to silence him. McLain and the team plan a rescue to extract him from danger.

McLain rescues Nomaka

McLain defies orders and rescues Nomaka, carrying him to safety. The act demonstrates the personal risk involved in the mission and underscores that Nomaka’s information is still valuable. Yet Nomaka’s testimony remains limited due to his condition.

Baxter kidnapped; lethal interrogation

Two thug Communists kidnap Baxter, triggering a tense interrogation sequence. Dr. Gelster uses sodium pentothal in an attempt to extract information, but his actions turn fatal when he accidentally kills Baxter. The loss intensifies McLain’s resolve to see the case through.

McLain doubles down on the case

With Baxter dead, McLain presses on to expose the party’s cells and assignments. The fallout from Baxter’s death sharpens the urgency of exposing the network and cleaning up the sleeper cells. The mission shifts from gathering evidence to accountability for the loss.

Sturak's strategy at the party meeting

Sturak orders the party cell to attend a meeting where Gelster is told to confess his membership to authorities to ‘kill’ the cell. The plan is to allow other cells to continue their work while the current one appears to be neutralized. Gelster’s reluctance foreshadows the moral cost of the strategy.

McLain confronts Gelster

McLain bursts into the meeting and pounds Gelster, retaliating for Baxter’s death. The confrontation escalates into a brawl, but the police arrive to arrest the insurrectionists. The moment embodies the clash between individual justice and organized political crime.