A State Department agent uses a prison escape and a romantic connection to pursue a murderous traitor, while the supposed romance collapses into disillusionment.
Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
The Traitor's Trail
Kent Foster tracks Nick Randall, a murderous traitor, and develops a plan involving Angela Booth. Angela's promised marriage to Randall gives Kent a possible route to his target.
Key Events
Kent Tracks a Traitor — Kent Foster pursues Nick Randall, a murderous traitor. Characters: Kent Foster, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified
Randall Becomes the Target — Randall is established as the central target of Kent's investigation. Characters: Kent Foster, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified
Kent Seeks a Trap — Kent hopes to trap Randall through Angela Booth. Characters: Kent Foster, Angela BoothLocation: Unspecified
Angela Performs — Angela is introduced as a singer and stripper. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Unspecified
Marriage Promise Made — Angela promises to marry Randall on New Year's Eve. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified
A Promise Under Watch
Angela is presented as a singer and stripper who has promised to marry Randall on New Year's Eve. She is not supposed to see him before that date.
Key Events
Marriage Promise Made — Angela promises to marry Randall on New Year's Eve. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified
A Forbidden Meeting — Angela is not supposed to see Randall until New Year's Eve. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified
Angela Enters a Quarrel — Angela becomes involved in a quarrel with an influential man. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Unspecified
Broken Mirror Defense — Angela defends herself during the quarrel with a broken mirror. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Unspecified
Angela Is Imprisoned — After the quarrel, Angela lands in prison. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Prison
Prison and the Broken Mirror
Angela quarrels with an influential man and defends herself with a broken mirror. She subsequently lands in prison, changing the conditions of Kent's pursuit.
Key Events
Kent Finds an Opening — Angela's imprisonment creates an opportunity for Kent's plan. Characters: Kent Foster, Angela BoothLocation: Prison
Escape Plan Arranged — Kent arranges for Angela to escape from prison. Characters: Kent Foster, Angela BoothLocation: Prison
Angela Becomes the Bait — Kent intends Angela's escape to lead him to Randall. Characters: Kent Foster, Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Prison
A Second Prisoner Joins — Another girl prisoner joins the escape with her infant. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Prison
The Escape Is Complicated — The additional prisoner and infant snarl the planned escape. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Prison
The Snarled Escape
Kent arranges Angela's escape so that she can lead him to Randall. The plan becomes complicated when another prisoner and her infant join, allowing Angela to slip away.
Key Events
Angela Slips Away — Angela separates from the confused escape and slips away. Characters: Angela BoothLocation: Prison
Kent Loses Control — Angela's disappearance disrupts Kent's intended tracking plan. Characters: Kent Foster, Angela BoothLocation: Unspecified
Angela Reaches Randall — Angela manages to meet Randall after escaping. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified meeting place
Randall's True Face
Angela succeeds in meeting Randall, but he slaps her. The assault makes her realize that the reports about him are true.
Key Events
Randall Strikes Angela — Randall slaps Angela during their meeting. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified meeting place
Angela Recognizes the Truth — Angela realizes that what she heard about Randall is true. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick RandallLocation: Unspecified meeting place
Romance Becomes Disillusionment — Angela's encounter with Randall overturns the romantic premise of Kent's plan. Characters: Angela Booth, Nick Randall, Kent FosterLocation: Unspecified
Story Breakdown
Kent's Investigation — Kent Foster's pursuit of Nick Randall establishes the central conflict.
Traitor Identified — Randall is identified as the murderous traitor Kent is tracking.
Capture Strategy — Kent hopes to trap Randall through Angela Booth.
Angela's Double Life — Angela's public career and private promise connect her to Randall.
Singer And Stripper — Angela is introduced as a singer and stripper.
Marriage Promise — She promises to marry Randall on New Year's Eve.
Forbidden Romance — Angela's relationship with Randall is shaped by separation and anticipation.
Delayed Meeting — Angela is not supposed to see Randall until New Year's Eve.
Romantic Vulnerability — Her promise makes Angela useful to Kent's pursuit.
Prison Crisis — A violent quarrel sends Angela into prison and alters the investigation.
Broken Mirror — Angela defends herself with a broken mirror during the quarrel.
Imprisonment — Angela lands in prison after the confrontation.
The Escape Scheme — Kent turns Angela's imprisonment into an opportunity to reach Randall.
Kent Arranges Escape — Kent arranges Angela's escape for investigative purposes.
Randall As Bait — Kent expects Angela to lead him to Randall.
Escape Complications — The planned escape becomes confused when an additional prisoner joins it.
Infant Joins Escape — Another girl prisoner joins the escape with her infant.
Angela Slips Away — The complications allow Angela to separate and escape on her own.
Randall Revealed — Angela's meeting with Randall replaces romantic expectation with confirmed distrust.
Unexpected Meeting — Angela manages to meet Randall after escaping.
Violence Confirms Rumors — Randall slaps Angela, confirming what she had heard about him.
Seeking the whereabouts of international gangster Nick Randall, the US State Department contacts Scotland Yard, as his girlfriend, Angela Booth, is currently in a British prison. Angela has refused to give Nick up to the law, so the combined authorities arrange for Angela to escape, aided by stoolie Gran' Ramsey who is at the same prison. The police will then follow Angela to Nick. Gran' stages the getaway, and the two women, accompanied by a third convict, Marguerite, whose prison-born baby is about to be turned over to welfare authorities. It is up to Gran' to keep the police informed of Angela's movements without being detected by the escapees, until Angela contacts Nick. This film is a reworking of principal footage from the UK film WOMEN WITHOUT MEN (1955), q.v., which, with added new footage (including scenes with original star Beverly Michaels), significantly revises the plot and central characters from a story about a wrongly imprisoned waif to one about a gangster's moll.
