Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman

A ruthless but clever gangster who knows every loophole in the law has the tables turned by a dedicated District Attorney and his assistant.

Police detective Mary Ryan is given an assignment to break up a gang of jewel thieves and fences. She, using an alias as a convict, is placed in the cell with a suspected member of the gang. Upon release she becomes a gang member but the gang leader is suspicious of her.

A private detective is approached by a wealthy entertainment executive to stop a blackmail scheme against him. Although he hasn't decided to take the job, the blackmailers believe that he already has, and he is marked for murder.

Josie Lamonte (Marian Marsh), upset by experiences at the "Club Naturelle", where she had hoped to acquire 'poise and personality' for a stage career, fires a tirade at club owner ""Lucky" Rogers (Edward Raquello) for his unprincipled ways of recruiting nightclub girls. The suicide of Josie prompts a broadcast by newscaster/columnist Wally King (Richard Arlen) in which he blasts Police Captain McGraw (Wade Boteler) of the Missing Persons Bureau. He mentions that this girl had been missing for months while her photograph was being seen posted by passersby of the police station. McGraw challenges King to locate some of the missing girls himself. Kay Roberts (Rochelle Hudson), sister of Josie, brings King a letter that indicates Josie's death was not suicide. King persuades showgirls he has done favors for to act as investigators. They find that an art salon, an escort bureau, and a theatrical agency are all operated by the "Club Naturelle." He then sets a trap to bring Rogers and his henchmen to justice.

An arson investigator goes undercover to break up a ring that sets fires in order to collect the insurance.

Helen Regan (Rochelle Hudson) is the daughter of a crippled ex-police officer whose disability makes her hesitant about getting romantically involved with policeman Bob Condon (Bruce Bennett). But her doubts are shelved after Bob rescues her and her father, Dan Regan (Oscar O'Shea) from Blake Standish (Sidney Blackmier), an escaped convict seeking revenge.