Father Tomasino is stabbed to death. San Francisco traffic cop Joe Martini felt the priest was like an actual father to him. He speaks to homicide Lieutenant Kilrain about his hunch that restaurant owner Sylvio Malatesta could be involved and asks to assist with the investigation. His request is refused, so he quits the force in order to look into Malatesta on his own.
Sylvio and his family warmly welcome Joe into their home. He hides his police past from them. He falls in love with a cousin, Anna.
Something is troubling Sylvio, but the family believes he still misses a sweetheart killed in Italy during the war. He has an alibi for the night of the priest's murder, but Sergeant Gillen, who is sympathetic to Joe, gets word to him that the alibi is a fake.
In a ploy to encourage Sylvio to confide in him, Joe pretends that he is a suspect in the murder. Sylvio breaks down and admits to having killed his own sweetheart. Joe deduces the rest. The two men engage in a vicious punch-up. Sylvio subsequently runs into the street and is struck by a vehicle.
Just before he dies, he begs for Joe's forgiveness. Sylvio had confessed the murder to Father Tomasino, who insisted he go to the police. Sylvio felt he could never do this and the anguish and guilt tormented him until he snapped and killed the priest.
The film was shot on location in San Francisco in August 1956.[3][1] At Tony Curtis's request, the shoot followed a "French" shooting schedule, whereby filming would begin at noon and run continuously until 7 p.m.[4]
