John Bradley is paroled from prison and heads to his remote cabin to enjoy freedom and distance himself from the society that condemns him as an ex-con. One evening as he relaxes with his pipe, a beautiful disheveled young woman in an evening gown bursts in and begs for shelter. Her name is Louise Loring, a kept-woman, fleeing her abusive millionaire "boyfriend," Tony Robson. Tony arrives with his henchman to force the girl to come back. A scuffle ensues and John attacks the thug before managing to escape. Prominent citizen Tony reports the assault to the police, who want John back behind bars. He is forced to go into hiding while desperately searching for a way to prove his innocence.

Gorgeous young Fay Wray steals every scene in which she appears in Woman In The Shadows, whose script is based on a Dashiell Hammett story. Despite a long prolific career in film and television, she will always be best remembered for her role in the 1933 classic King Kong. Highlights from the long and distinguished career of Academy Award winner Ralph Bellamy include his roles in The Awful Truth (1937), His Girl Friday (1940) and most notably, his classic portrayal of Franklin Roosevelt in Sunrise At Campobello (1960). He turned in a terrific comic performance as unscrupulous billionaire Randolph Duke in Trading Places (1983) and had a busy career in television working steadily until his final appearance in the film Pretty Woman (1990). One of Hollywood's greatest actors, Melvyn Douglas took home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1963 for his role in Hud and added a second Oscar in 1979 for his role in Being There.

A recently-released convict, yearning for the solitude of his forest cabin, instead has the misfortune of encountering his old flame, a mysterious woman, and her belligerent boyfriend.