Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.
Michael O'Hara, against his better judgement, hires on as a crew member of Arthur Bannister's yacht, sailing to San Francisco. They pick up Grisby, Bannister's law partner, en route. Bannister has a wife, Elsa, who seems to like Michael much better than she likes her husband. After they dock in Sausalito, Michael goes along with Grisby's weird plan to fake his (Grisby's) murder so he can disappear untailed. He wants the $5000 Grisby has offered, so he can run off with Elsa. But Grisby turns up actually murdered, and Michael gets blamed for it. Somebody set him up, but it is not clear who or how. Bannister (the actual murderer?) defends Michael in court.—John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Against his better judgment, Irish seaman Michael O'Hara agrees to work on well-known criminal lawyer Arthur Bannister's yacht. What interests O'Hara however is Elsa Bannister, Arthur's wife. He had rescued her from a group of ruffians in Central Park the night before and instantly became infatuated with her. They're to sail from New York to San Francisco via the Panama Canal and Bannister's law partner, George Grisby, joins them en route. Michael and Elsa are soon in love. Grimsby want to fake his own death and offers Michael $5000 to help him get away with it. Michael agrees thinking the money will allow he and Elsa to run off together. When Grimsby is found dead however, Michael is charged with his murder.—garykmcd
Without a work assignment in New York City, Irish seaman Michael O'Hara, having met her earlier and immediately attracted to her, acts the Good Samaritan to beautiful Elsa Bannister in Central Park. Michael's actions result in her being able to convince her older attorney husband, the lame Arthur Bannister, to offer Michael a job aboard their yacht in they sailing back to their home base of San Francisco via the Panama Canal. Michael is reluctant to take the job as although he is attracted to her and believes she is attracted to him, he also believes Elsa to be dangerous, but can also see that she is scared, perhaps of Arthur, enough for him to take the job. As Michael ponders an unusual proposition by Arthur's business partner George Grisby, who is making the journey with them, Michael will find who he should and shouldn't trust as he fights for his life.—Huggo
Michael O'Hara comes to the aid of a woman being mugged and is subsequently enchanted by her beauty and enigmatic story as he escorts her to her destination. Soon after the event, O'Hara finds employment aboard a yacht owned by the brilliant, unethical, and disabled trial lawyer Arthur Bannister - husband to O'Hara's mystery woman, Elsa. O'Hara senses a setup when Arthur's shifty associate Grisby joins the pleasure cruise and both men facilitate relations between O'Hara and Elsa. Unwilling to abandon Elsa, O'Hare ensnares himself in a complex murder and fraud scheme in which none of the participants are what they appear to be. Something resembling the truth is revealed in THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI's celebrated hall of mirrors showdown.—Mae Moreno
