Thunder in the Night

Torok, a police captain in Budapest, is pleased when his friend, Count Peter Alvinczy, is elected to the presidency of the government's cabinet. Alvinczy is married to Madalaine, whose first husband, Paul Szegedy, long believed to be dead, turns up and threatens to publicly embarrass Alvinczy by revealing his wife to be already married. Szegedy's mistress and partner in a theatrical act, Katherine Szabo, tries in vain to change his mind, even telling Torok at the police precinct what is occurring. He goes through with the scheme to blackmail Madalaine and is soon found dead by Torok, shot through the heart on the street. Madelaine becomes the prime suspect in Torok's investigation and is placed under arrest. Her husband confesses to the murder, trying to protect her. Torok, however, deduces that Katherine, a sharpshooter in their performing act, picked up a gun in the police station when no one was looking and, through a window, shot her lover. Found out, Katherine kills herself. Torok then releases Madalaine, promising to keep her secret and protect his friend.