Midnight 1934

Ethel Saxton goes on trial

Ethel Saxton is on trial for shooting her husband to death. Her defense argues she did not mean to kill him, firing only under extreme emotional pressure as he prepared to leave her. Spectators believe she may have a chance at acquittal if the case is judged a crime of passion.

Defense frames the act as a crime of passion

During the trial, the defense frames the case as a crime of passion rather than premeditation. The emotional context leads many spectators to believe she could be spared if the jury accepts the sudden heat of the moment as a defence. The courtroom mood is cautious but hopeful for an acquittal.

Foreman probes the money detail

Jury foreman Edward Weldon asks Ethel if she picked up the money her husband had collected to leave with after the shooting. Her affirmative answer becomes the catalyst for a claim of premeditation, challenging the defense's position. The question shifts the jury's interpretation of the crime.

Verdict and sentence

The jury convicts Ethel of first-degree murder after considering the money detail and the emotional defense. She is sentenced to death, ending the trial with a stark and final judgment. The courtroom echoes with the weight of the verdict.

Evening at Weldon household

On the evening of Ethel’s execution, Weldon copes with the consequences of his role as foreman. Friends visit and try to distract him with bridge and chatter, while reporters cluster outside. An unscrupulous journalist bribes Weldon’s son-in-law to set up a fake radio broadcast designed to manipulate his emotions about the case.

Stella Weldon meets Gar Boni

Stella, Weldon’s daughter, meets the charming Gar Boni at the trial and falls quickly for him. In the ensuing weeks, their romance deepens, though Gar’s friends warn that she is getting too serious for what he wants. The relationship adds tension to the family and the case.

Gar declares he is leaving town

Gar tells his friends that he is leaving town tonight because Stella is getting too serious for what he wants. He arrives later and reveals that he is carrying a gun, claiming it is for his work. The admission casts a shadow over the relationship.

Stella notices the gun

During their conversations, Stella notices Gar is carrying a gun in his car and confronts him about it. He maintains that the weapon is for his work, not for threatening her, but the moment raises questions about danger surrounding the couple. The tension sets the stage for further tragedy.

Journalist broadcasts and Edward's statement

A journalist pretends to broadcast details of Ethel screaming and collapsing as she goes to the chair, while we see her fear in intercut scenes. Edward is pressured by emotion and opens his front door to deliver a heartfelt statement to reporters about the law and his perceived rightness. The scene blurs truth and spectacle.

Execution night and another gunshot

The switch is pulled at the death house and Ethel is executed. In Gar’s car, Stella and Gar have their last argument and a gun goes off, adding a second crime to the night’s events. The two tragedies unfold in parallel as the town watches.

Stella returns with Gar's gun

Stella enters the house carrying Gar Boni’s gun and claims that she shot him in self defense. The family pushes Edward to help exculpate her and craft a story that absolves her of responsibility. Edward wrestles with his oath to the law and his love for his daughter.

Edward informs the DA and investigation begins

Edward contacts the district attorney to reveal the full truth about the night’s events. DA’s men inspect the murder scene and discover the bullet that killed Gar Boni came from another car across the street, indicating a gangland rubout rather than a crime of passion. The truth begins to swell into the case against Stella’s guilt.