Whilst barricading himself from the police in his tiny apartment, World War II veteran Joe Adams (Henry Fonda) reveals the circumstances that led to him murdering conman and second-rate magician Maximilian (Vincent Price). The flashbacks show Joe's life as a sandblaster in a remote mill-town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border where he meets Jo Ann (the late, great Barbara Bel Geddes), who desperately wants to escape her boring life there. But when Maximilian tries to con Joe and seduce Jo Ann, the action heats up - leading to an all-night police battle.

A gritty, engaging drama with Price at his creepy best as the peroxide charmer Max.