MovieChat Forums > The Unknown Man (1951) Discussion > Plot hole (SPOILER)

Plot hole (SPOILER)

posted 10 years ago by movies789
5 replies | jump to latest

SPOILER ALERT --- Early on the day that Crime Commission head Layford is murdered, the accused killer Wallchek's attorney, Masen, is surreptitiously searching Wallchek's apartment for evidence of a previous murder for which Masen regrettably got Wallchek acquitted. As he discovers and keeps the earlier crime's murder weapon - later to be used on Layford - Masen discretely intercepts a phone call in which the caller (only later determined to be Layford) urgently instructs the silent answerer, Masen (but thought by Layford to be Walchek) to come to the caller's location (Layford's house) at exactly 9:30 that night. By chance, Masen, himself, visits Layford that night, shortly before 9:30. During that meeting, at 9:30, Walchek arrives at Layford's house, as Layford had instructed in the afternoon phone call. Just one thing... the phone call that had instructed Walchek to be there at precisely 9:30 was received by Masen; Walchek never did receive the order to be there at the appointed time. Major plot hole!

[–] truwarier 10 years ago

I was in and out so I missed that part but could it have been that Walchek already knew about the meeting time? Or was it clear that Layford was relaying the instructions for the first time on the phone call?

I also have a question about the end, as I went to bathroom for a couple of minutes and missed a big part of the plot. I saw Masen talking to Walchek, then I missed a couple of minutes and a guy, I guy it was the prosecutor, was giving the commencement address that Masen was supposed to have given. And he was talking as if Masen were dead. What the heck happened to Masen?

[–] nscom-1 10 years ago

Masen took into the cell the weapon that had killed young man at the beginning, and told Walcheck that he had killed the head of the crime commission. He turned his back on Walchek, and Walcheck stabbed him in the back. Masen knew he had to pay for killing the crime commissioner, and he imposed his own justice on himself, and Walchek had to pay for the murder he had committed.

[–] movies789 10 years ago

I believe that nscom-1 is mistaken that the call was just a reminder; I heard it as a one-time urgent call to make the appointment. It being a rather obscure movie, we may have to wait for the next Walter Pigeon retrospective to nail that one down.

SPOILER --- Masen went to Walchek's cell, with Walcheck's apartment key (given to him by the later-murdered locksmith-witness to the first murder) and the now twice-used murder weapon. Masen admitted to Layford's murder, turned his back, and allowed Wallchek to punish him for it with the weapon, yet ensuring that Wallchek would still be punished for the locksmith's murder (and Masen's own).

[–] nscom-1 10 years ago

The phone call was to remind Walcheck of the 9:30 appointment, not to make the appointment. Walcheck already knew to be there.

[–] big_O_Other 10 years ago

Sorry, but that got covered by the film. Wallachek testifies on the stands that Layford's call caught up with him while he was in a restaurant, which he names.