Christmas Holiday
Lt. Charles Mason has a few days' leave before being sent overseas. His plans to marry his fiancee in San Francisco are shattered when he receives a telegram announcing her marriage to another man. He decides to make the trip anyway so he can confront her. But the plane is forced to land in New Orleans on Christmas Eve due to stormy weather. The airline finds rooms for the passengers at a nearby hotel but cannot guarantee that the plane can take off the next day. Mason unsuccessfully tries to find other transportation. He goes to the hotel bar for a drink and meets an inebriated reporter, Simon Fenimore. After hearing of Mason's dilemma, Simon suggests that they visit a nightclub where the owner, Valerie Le Merode, knows a lot of people and might be able to find him a ride.While Valerie and Simon talk, Mason listens to the girl singer, Jackie Lamont. Valerie regrets that she can do nothing to help Mason and suggests that he buy Jackie a drink. She asks Mason to take her to the midnight mass at a nearby cathedral. He agrees but the sanctuary is so crowded that he is forced to stand.During the service he is aware that Jackie is crying. Her sobs become audible, annoying those around them. Mason tries to comfort her and eventually she regains control. When the mass is over, she suggests they go to an all-night diner where she tells Mason her story.Her real name is Abigail Mannette, Mrs. Robert Mannette. Her husband is serving a life sentence for murder. She took the nightclub job so she could be near him, changing her name to avoid recognition. The Manettes were an old New Orleans family and lived in a beautiful home in the Garden District. Abigail met Robert at a concert. They were instantly attracted to one another. She had no family left and Robert only had his widowed mother, with whom he lived. It wasn't long before they fell in love. Robert seemed to have trouble keeping a job and admitted that he was a gambler. But he promised to give that up if Abigail would marry him. He took her to meet his mother. Mrs. Manette sent Robert out of the room so she and Abigail could talk. She wanted to make sure Abigail was the right sort of girl for her son. Shortly afterward, Abigail and Robert were married.They were very happy for a few months. Then Robert began staying out late. Abigail feared he was back with his gambling crowd. He began snapping at her when she tried to find out what was going on. Then one day he didn't come home until dawn. He had blood on his suit and his mother tried to wash it out. Later Abigail saw her burning the suit. The police came looking for him but he wasn't home. Mrs. Manette sewed a large bundle of cash in the hem of her bedroom curtains. Abigail saw her and removed the money, so that when the police came with a search warrant, they found nothing. Robert was arrested and charged with the robbery and murder of his bookie. Abigail remained loyal to him even when he was found guilty and sentenced. As they were leaving the courtroom, Mrs. Manette suddenly slapped Abigail across the face. She blamed her daughter-in-law for not keeping Robert away from gambling.Mason asks Abigail why she didn't divorce Robert. She replied that she would always love him,no matter what. As for Mrs. Manette, the last Abigail heard she was working as a housekeeper for a wealthy New York family.By this time, it is so late that Abigail has missed the last bus. Mason offers to let her sleep on the sofa of his hotel suite. He has decided against going on to San Francisco. As soon as he can get transportation, he will return to his base.Just after Abigail leaves the next morning, Simon telephones looking for her. Mason says she should be on her way back to the nightclub. He doesn't know that Robert Manette broke out of prison and is hiding out in Simon's apartment. Simon asks Manette to leave but he refuses. He has come to check up on his wife, but he can't leave until it's dark.Mason spots the newspaper headlines about the prison break and feels Abigail is in danger. He goes to the nightclub but the police are there waiting for Manette. He and Simon climb unnoticed into the window of Abigail's dressing room. She is overjoyed to see her husband and instantly starts planning how they can escape the city. Manette has an ugly air about him as he accuses Abigail of cheating on him. She denies it just as Mason bursts into the room. The police notice footprints leading to the half-open window. Shots are exchanged and Manette dies in Abigail's arms. She has loved him to the end.
murder, flashback