The Blue Dahlia - Noir - 1946

Having fought together in the South Pacific and newly decommissioned, friends Johnny Morrison, George Copeland, and Buzz Wanchek are just reentering civilian life in Los Angeles, Buzz literally and figuratively shell-shocked, the literal part being shrapnel embedded into his skull and a metal plate inserted to deal with the head injury. With no specific ties, George and Buzz, the former a lawyer by trade, plan to live together, they able to find an apartment, while Johnny has a wife, Helen Morrison, to who to return. In not telling Helen beforehand of coming home, Johnny discovers she is not the woman he thought he had married not only in she being a party girl, but she cheating on him with nightclub owner Eddie Harwood. While Harwood, who is married himself, willingly leaves in Johnny's return, Johnny himself decides to leave Helen but not before an altercation between the two. Shortly thereafter, Johnny learns via the media that Helen has been murdered. Knowing that he is at the top of the suspect list, Johnny goes on the run, but he also decides to discover who killed Helen not only to clear his name but in respect to her in she still having been his wife. At the top of his suspect list is Harwood. But there are others who come into view either aware are unaware to Johnny. One is Buzz as Helen had contacted him and George in trying to locate Johnny, Buzz who would both do anything for his friend in discovering the type of person Helen was, and could snap in his mental state. And another is the mysterious blonde woman who picked Johnny up in he absconding, she who is conveniently around when he least expects.