Detour (1945)

While in a highway restaurant, the bitter pianist Al Roberts listens to a song and recalls his recent past. In New York, he played piano in a dump nightclub where his beloved girlfriend Sue Harvey was the singer. Sue decides to move to Los Angeles, expecting to have an opportunity in the cinema industry. She is not very successful, and Al decides to travel to L.A. to meet her. Without money, he hitchhikes and meets Charles Haskell Jr., who is heading directly to Los Angeles. When Charles unexpectedly dies, Al decides to assume his identity since the police would never believe the truth about his death. In a gas station, he gives a lift to Vera, a woman who knew Charles and blackmails Al with tragic consequences.