Night Waitress (1936)

Reformed convict Helen Roberts, on probation for a murder she was ensnared in by a web of circumstantial evidence, bravely steps back into the shadow-laden world of her previous employment. She resumes her duties as a night waitress at Torre's Fish Palace, a notorious waterfront dive in San Francisco, where the air is thick with whispers of illicit dealings and the patrons are as murky as the fog-laden bay. Despite her checkered past, Helen is warmly welcomed back by Torre, who regards her as one of his most skilled waitresses. Haunted by the ghosts of her past, Helen strives to swerve any hint of trouble, a task that proves challenging amidst the seedy clientele who darken the door of Torre's after sundown. Among these characters is the persistent Martin Rhodes, a schooner captain with a past that ripples with tales of rum running and gun smuggling. Rhodes, momentarily anchored in town, becomes an unwelcome suitor to Helen. He books a table for three consecutive nights, stirring intrigue as he awaits a faceless individual who plans to hire his transport services for an unspecified cargo. As Helen grows to know him, she finds herself drawn into a whirlwind of smuggling, theft, and murder, wrapped in the enigma of the valuable hidden "cargo". In a thrilling dance of danger and deception, Helen and Martin become ensnared in a perilous game, forcing them to run a gauntlet of both law enforcement and criminals. Their pasts, tattooed with transgressions, threaten to sabotage their future as they strive to untangle themselves from the deadly web they've stumbled into. "Night Waitress" is a riveting tale of survival, redemption, and the unanticipated connections that can emerge from the darkest corners of life.

Night Waitress is a crime movie featuring Margot Grahame.

Night Waitress is currently streaming on TCM.