Title: Behind Green Lights
Year: 1946
Genres: Film Noir; Crime; Mystery
Director: Otto Brower

Cast:

• William Gargan as Lt. Sam Carson
• Janis Carter as Jean Dixon
• Morgan Conway as Steve Hatch
• Charles Arnt as Police Capt. Bill W. Farrell
• Edward Earle as District Attorney
• Cleo Ridgely as Mrs. French
• Jack Raymond as Harry Bradley

Synopsis:

When crusading newspaper columnist Michael Cromwell is found murdered in his apartment, Lieutenant Sam Carson leads the police investigation into a web of scandal and betrayal. Reporter Jean Dixon, Cromwell’s protégé, becomes both key witness and prime suspect as hidden love affairs and blackmail schemes emerge. As Carson uncovers false alibis and planted evidence, he races to clear Jean’s name and expose the true killer before the district attorney’s office pushes for a premature indictment. A tense courtroom showdown reveals shocking revelations about loyalty and corruption in postwar Los Angeles.

Trivia:

• Produced by Republic Pictures, Behind Green Lights is noted for its taut pacing and shadowy cinematography characteristic of mid-1940s film noir.
• Morgan Conway, who plays a pivotal suspect, later became known for originating the role of Dick Tracy on television.
• The film slipped into the public domain after Republic Pictures failed to renew its copyright, making it widely available in inexpensive home-video collections.