Flight to Nowhere

Just after World War II, when officials at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. learn that criminals carrying a map to an important uranium deposit are thought to be in the Los Angeles vicinity, agent Donovan is assigned to the case. In Los Angeles, pilot Hoby Carrington anticipates a free weekend, until an attractive woman called "the countess" invites him to dine with her--in Death Valley. After Hoby agrees to fly her there, she meets him at the airport, accompanied by Catherine Forrest, Cathy's brother Claude, Jan Van Bush and Mr. Porter. Out of sight of the others, in the airport washroom, Donovan speaks privately to Hoby, who used to be a counter-espionage agent, and asks for his help in apprehending the criminals, but Hoby is reluctant to become involved. In the air, Hoby asks the passengers to put on their oxygen masks, but when Cathy passes out, he discovers that the hose to her mask has been disconnected. Because the countess was earlier sitting in the same seat, she is convinced that someone was trying to kill her. In Death Valley, the guests are introduced to Thomas R. Walker, a mine owner who has worked around the world. Later, Donovan, who is waiting in Hoby's room, explains that a Korean agent, who was to deliver a map to uranium deposits necessary for the construction of an atomic bomb, was killed during a house party at the Forrests' home in Honolulu. When he adds that every passenger on Hoby's plane was a guest at the party, Hoby agrees to help Donovan investigate. Later, Hoby has a drink with the countess and notices an envelope with Japanese writing in her purse. He steals the envelope, but on the way back to his room, is attacked and the envelope is stolen. Also at the hotel is Hoby's ex-wife, actress Irene Allison, who tells him that she recognizes the countess as a former showgirl named Dolly Loraine. As a favor to Hoby, Irene, who worked as a magician's helper, steals the envelope back from the countess. Meanwhile, Claude pressures Walker to pay him $250,000 for the map to the uranium deposits, and both Porter and the countess try to set up their own deals with Walker. After Hoby rescues Cathy from Jan's unwelcome advances, she shows him a ring that Claude brought back from the war. Later, Walker is killed, but the sheriff's investigations are cut short when Donovan arranges for a man to confess to the killing so that the real killer will lead him to the stolen map. Hoby then flies everyone to Las Vegas, and Irene, who is a licensed pilot, comes too. In Las Vegas, Claude tries to sell his information to Joseph Herman Ruehl. Later, Irene asks Hoby to pick up her producer in Palm Springs and, when he refuses, asks to borrow his plane. Hoby agrees on the condition that Irene steal Cathy's ring. Using the symbols on the ring, Donovan plots the location of the uranium. Then Hoby learns that his plane crashed, killing Irene. Meanwhile, at Ruehl's ranch, Porter demands the ring from Claude, threatening to reveal the contents of the envelope which name him as a Japanese collaborator during the war. Claude tells him that Cathy has the ring and then explains how to read it, and Porter shoves him into a stall with a vicious horse. Hoby and Cathy arrive and reveal that Porter is the mastermind of a group of international racketeers intent on stealing the uranium. The murderer caught, Hoby and Cathy decide to get married.