| Scene of the Crime | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Roy Rowland |
| Produced by | Harry Rapf |
| Written by | John Bartlow Martin (story) Charles Schnee |
| Starring | Van Johnson Arlene Dahl Gloria DeHaven |
| Music by | André Previn |
| Cinematography | Paul Vogel |
| Editing by | Robert Kern |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | July 28, 1949 |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Scene of the Crime is a 1949 film noir starring Van Johnson as a Los Angeles police detective.
Detective Mike Conovan (Van Johnson) investigates when a former partner is found murdered and carrying $1,000 in cash.
Out to dispel a theory that the dead cop was secretly in cahoots with crooks, Conovan's trail leads to a stripper, Lili (Gloria DeHaven), whose ex-boyfriend Turk (Richard Benedict) has apparently pulled off a robbery with a man named Lafe (William Haade).
Conovan tracks down Lafe and places him under arrest, but just outside the police station, gun shots ring out, killing Lafe and wounding the detective. Conovan is convinced by his wife Gloria (Arlene Dahl) that police work is too dangerous. He agrees and tenders his resignation.
Lili calls headquarters with a tip for Conovan on where Turk can be found. Detective Fred Piper (John McIntire) intercepts the messge, investigates it himself and is gunned down.
Conovan concludes that Lili has been double-crossing him, secretly helping Turk all along. Over the objections of his wife, he gets his old job back with the police force.
Turk attempts to pull off an armed robbery, but Conovan gives chase. His vehicle crashes into Turk's, causing it to catch fire. Turk confesses to the murders before he dies.