Predating film noir, Frank Tuttle's wartime thriller, adapted from Graham Greene's novel, nonetheless has several noir elements. It is a tale involving ruthless fifth columnists, the cold-blooded hitman they hire and then try to dispose of, and the cabaret entertainer who gets caught up in the ensuing mess. Billed below Robert Preston, Laird Cregar and Veronica Lake as "introducing Alan Ladd", the movie rocketed the unknown Ladd to stardom on the strength of his performance as the loner-killer. It also began his popular teaming with Lake, whose combination of blonde cool and touching vulnerability clicked into box-office chemistry with the diminutive, laconic and charismatic actor. Preston is Lake's cop boyfriend, Cregar is the unusual and effective "heavy" - in both senses. He died aged 28 as a result of crash-dieting.

Sadistic killer-for-hire Philip Raven becomes enraged when his latest job is paid off in marked bills. Vowing to track down his double-crossing boss, nightclub executive Gates, Raven sits beside Gates' lovely new employee, Ellen, on a train out of town. Although Ellen is engaged to marry the police lieutenant who's hunting down Raven, she decides to try and set the misguided hit man straight as he hides from the cops and plots his revenge.