Cornered

Cornered is a 1945 American mystery thriller film noir starring Dick Powell and directed by Edward Dmytryk. This is the second teaming of Powell and Dmytryk (after Murder, My Sweet). The screenplay was written by John Paxton with uncredited help from Ben Hecht. Plot After the end of World War II, a former P.O.W., Canadian RCAF flyer Laurence Gerard, returns to France to discover who ordered the killing of his bride of only 20 days, a member of the French Resistance. His father-in-law Étienne Rougon identifies Vichy collaborator Marcel Jarnac. He supposedly died in 1943, but Rougon has strong doubts. Jarnac was careful about maintaining his anonymity and the police have no description of him. But his own associate compiled a dossier on him; Gerard finds a burned fragment of it, and an envelope addressed to Madame Jarnac. From this he manages to track the widow to Buenos Aires. When he arrives Gerard is met by Melchior Incza, a stranger who appears to know all too much about him. The suspicious Canadian initially rejects Incza's offer of help, but cannot turn down his invitation to a party hosted by Madame Jarnac's associate, wealthy businessman Tomas Camargo, for the opportunity to mingle with their social set. There he meets Camargo's uncle, lawyer Manuel Santana, and the widow herself. When Gerard later questions Madame Jarnac in her hotel room, she refuses to co-operate, so he starts openly following her. Santana asks him to desist, but will not say why. Later, Gerard finds a valet, Diego, tidying up his hotel room at an odd hour.