Woman of Straw

Maria, an Italian private nurse, is hired by Anthony Richmond to care for his uncle Charles, a ruthless and malicious crippled millionaire. Anthony is convinced that Charles drove his father to suicide, then married Anthony's mother, and, following her death, willed his riches to charity. Believing the money to be rightfully his, Anthony persuades Maria to become his accomplice in obtaining the inheritance by marrying Charles. After the wedding, however, she has a change of heart and tries to be fair with both men. She is therefore shocked when Charles suddenly dies on his yacht. Knowing that Charles had changed his will in Maria's favor, Anthony convinces the unsuspecting woman that Charles's premature death will invalidate the will and that they must take the dead man home. Maria believes the story and goes through with the plan only to be met by the police and arrested for murder. A Negro servant loyal to Maria produces a tape recording made by Charles on his death bed, however, and this evidence establishes Anthony's guilt and clears Maria. The maddened Anthony confronts the servant, but during the scuffle he falls to his death down a flight of stairs.