Chicago 1941. Meet private eye Richard Stone, celebrating at his Christmas Even office party after beating the draft by way of a bribe. He's a disappointment to his secretary and main squeeze, Katie Crocket, whose brother Ben is fighting overseas; and his honest young employee joey Ernest is guilt-ridden over all the divorce-racket keyhole peeping. Worst of all, his equally sleazy partner, Jake Marley, was murdered a year ago tonight and Stone didn't bother solving Jake's ho-ho homicide.
Chicago, 1942. Private eye Richard Stone celebrates in his officewith his staff and key clients after bribing a Draft Board official toavoid military service. Among those present are his secretaryKatie, a nice girl whose brother Ben is serving in the Pacific, andMaggie, not a nice woman, widow of Stone's late partner, JakeMarley. Also present are his idealistic associate, Joey and his wifeLinda; and Stone's pal Sgt. Hank Ross of Homicide, a reminder thatthe P.I. has not bothered to try to solve Marley's murder, a year agotonight - Christmas Eve.
Falling asleep in his office, Stone is visited by Marley, doomed to anearth-bound purgatory because his partner didn't bother to solvehis murder. Outlaw Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie & Clyde), the Ghostof Christmas Past, escorts Stone to revisit his idyllic childhood farmupbringing. When the family homestead is foreclosed, a familyfriend gets young Stone a job on the local police department,where he falls in with shady Deputy Chief Marley. Together they goto the big city and become successful, corrupt private detectives.But even Stone's crony Hank Ross of Homicide is shocked whenMarley's murder does not move Stone into action.
Stone is visited next by Katie's young brother Ben, apparentlyhome on leave. But Ben proves to be recently deceased in combathe's the Ghost of Christmas Present, providing Stone with a lookat Maggie and important client Turner having an affair. Maggie'sbrother Eddie, faces mob guns because Stone refused to help himpay off gambling debts; and Katie, her mother and sister onChristmas morning receive the terrible news about Ben.
The Ghost of Christmas Future comes calling, but Stone does notrecognize the King (the otherwise unnamed Elvis Presley). TheKing reveals to Stone that Joey is about to quit - his pregnant wifeLinda will go to work at a defense plant. Also, Stone sees Maggieand Turner getting married in Las Vegas...and witnesses his futureself winding up on Death Row, convicted of Marley's murder.On Christmas Day, a changed man thanks to the ghostly visits,Stone confronts the killer and brings him (or is it her?) to justice.Then Stone goes to spend Christmas with Katie and her littlefamily, knowing a terrible telegram is about to arrive.
