Bogart is Dixon Steele, a potentially violent screenwriter whose quick temper has gotten him into a lot of trouble in the past.
After an encounter in a restaurant he invites a young woman to his apartment to fill him in on a novel he is too lazy to read but must turn into a screenplay. He name is Mildred Atkinson (Martha Stewart) and she is more than happy to oblige.
After she leave Dixon's home all seems well until the police come to see Steele early in the morning. Mildred has been murdered and Dixon is the prime suspect.
His best friend, Brub Nicoali (Frank Lovejoy) is a policeman who knows Dixon is innocent. A lovely young woman, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) steps forward and gives Steele an alibi. Turns out she is his neighbor. They slowly falls in love.
The accusation of murder and constant badgering by the police take it's toll on Dix and Laurel, and soon their relationship is a wreck.
This is an excellent example of film noir as it depicts two people whose lives are utterly destroyed, even after Dixon is cleared by another man's confession.
Nicholas Ray directed this unsung gem and it has all of his touches. The story sucks you in and packs a hell of a punch at the end. Recommended viewing.
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