 A plea for reform of England s anti-sodomy statutes, this film pits Melville Farr (Dirk Bogarde), a married lawyer, against a blackmailer who has photos of Farr and a young gay man (who is being blackmailed and later commits suicide)in Farr s car. After the suicide, Farr tracks down other gay men being extorted for money by the same blackmailer.The well-educated police Detective Inspector Harris (John Barrie) considers the sodomy law nothing more than an aid to blackmailers, and helps Farr in calling his blackmailer s bluff. The movie, far ahead of its time, ends with Farr and his wife coming to terms with his homosexuality after the public exposure he faces in the blackmailer s trial.