Attack of the Puppet People

In Los Angeles, Sally Reynolds applies to the job posting for an office girl at Dolls Incorporated, a doll manufacturer. Despite not having experience as such and having an odd feeling about the owner/operator Mr. Franz under who she would work, he the sole person in the company, Sally accepts the job offer on Mr. Franz's urging. That odd feeling is in he treating many of the dolls in the display area like they are real people. She learns she is replacing Janet Hall, who quit in accepting another position. Besides the clerical duties, Sally learns the other main responsibility is to ensure Mr. Franz is not disturbed when he is working in his back room, when he usually locks the door behind him. Sally's feelings about otherwise seemingly mild-mannered Mr. Franz turn more serious when she believes he is the cause of many people in his midst having gone missing, not only including Janet and the former postman on this delivery route, but most importantly in her mind one of the salesmen who frequents the factory, Bob Westley, who asked her to marry him, she who was going to accompany him back to his home base of St. Louis before his disappearance. While she does suspect wrongdoing on Mr Franz's part, she not having any evidence of such, she does not know the reason, which if she knew of Mr. Franz's past as a puppeteer in Europe and he having previously been married at the time may have given her some indication. While she does report what she suspects is happening to the somewhat incredulous police, she is further unaware that what is indeed happening may take a more deadly turn in Mr. Franz receiving a visit from an old colleague, Emil, a fellow puppeteer who has brought his marionette show to Los Angeles.