Plot

Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder after she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.

After barely surviving a Nazi concentration camp, Victoria assumes the identity of a friend who died there. She arrives in San Francisco to see "her" son just as the boy's great-aunt dies leaving him a large inheritance. Victoria falls in love with the boy's trustee, Alan Spender, and moves with him into the aunt's mansion on Telegraph Hill. However, she finds that living life under an assumed identity is fraught with pitfalls.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> / edited by Hans Delbruck

In the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, the Polish Victoria Kowelska has lost her husband and family in the war. She befriends her fellow citizen Karin Dernakova, who miss her son Chris that lives with her Aunt Sophie in San Francisco. Karin dies three days before the liberation forces commanded by Major Marc Bennett arrive at the camp and Victoria assumes the identity of her friend to emigrate to the United States. However, she is informed that Aunt Sophie has just died and she stays in a camp for survivors. Four years later, she succeeds to go to the United States and meets Sophie's lawyer. She learns that Alan Spender was assigned Chris' trustee and he invites her to travel with him to San Francisco to see Chris. Along their journey, they get married to each other and Karin has a cold reception from the housekeeper Margaret that raises Chris at the mansion on Telegraph Hill. Karin meets Major Bennett, who is a friend of Alan, in a party at home and she befriends him. Soon Karin is connected to Chris, but when she has a car accident, she suspects that Alan wants to kill Chris and her to keep the money for him. Is she paranoid?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At the end of the WWII, a concentration camp inmate takes on the identity of her close friend who died there. Eventually, she manages to emigrate to San Francisco, claiming to be the mother of the child the other woman sent there shortly before the war. She discovers that the boy is heir to considerable wealth and that her arrival is not welcomed by some of those at his home on Telegraph Hill.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26} / edited by Hans Delbruck

When Victoria Kowelska (Valentina Cortese) leaves a Nazi concentration camp alive at the end of World War 2 when the American troops invade Europe she discovers her Polish home destroyed so she takes the identity of her deceased friend and escapes toSan Franciscoto start a new life. She discovers in her new persona that she has taken on a young son, a large fortune, and that her aunt has passed away thus leaving no one who could identify her. Attorney for the estate Alan Spender (Richard Basehart) has taken on the responsibility of raising her son and manages to woo and marryVictoriathus remaining entrenched in the family money. Suspicious things begin to happen, and after her car crashesVictoriaturns to friend attorney Marc Bennett (William Lundigan) and tells him she believes that Alan is trying to kill her. When the truth comes out it is clear thatVictoriamust fight for her life and the life of her adopted son.