Murder in Reverse   1945
Channel: Сinema BAI
Date: 15/02/2023

Plot
Tom Masterick works as a stevedore in Limehouse, London and is a married man with a young daughter. After discovering his wife has been having an affair with a man named Fred Smith, he fights him in a saloon bar which continues through the streets, before they both end up high on a docks crane, from which Smith falls. Following a police investigation and court trial, Masterick is sentenced to death for Smith's murder which he insists he did not commit, although this is commuted to 15 years imprisonment. Upon release, he seeks to find the truth about what happened to the murder "victim", who he is adamant he saw alive following his arrest. After his wife disappeared with her lover, their daughter Jill was adopted by a close friend and grew up with no memory of her real parents or early childhood.

Masterick is friendly with a newspaper editor named Sullivan, who had unsuccessfully tried to change the public opinion of the case in favour of Masterick during his early incarceration. Sullivan had adopted his daughter, who had grown up living a happy life and he wishes for her not to learn of her true identity. Masterick agrees, expressing his only desire is to see real justice done and discover the truth about the fate of Smith. Jill, who is in a relationship with junior reporter Peter Rogers, becomes involved in the case and learns of Masterick's incarceration and miscarriage of justice, oblivious he is her real father.

Following a period of private investigation, Masterick finds his former wife, now abandoned by Smith and living a destitute life. She discloses the location of where Smith can be found but is unsuccessful in her attempt to reconcile with Masterick, who only desires justice for his wrongful incarceration.

Masterick finds Smith running a public house and upon Smith believing he is not out to avenge him, the two agree to split any compensation Masterick believes he will secure for his wrongful prison sentence. The pair visit the judge who originally presided over the case, who is entertaining guests at a dinner party. Masterick explains there has been a miscarriage of justice and the murder victim is alive and well, standing right next to him. Believing that the judge is unwilling to help Masterick clear his name due to the passage of time, Masterick shoots Smith in full view of the judge and his friends, murdering him.