- Chicago 1941. Meet private eye Richard Stone, celebrating at his Christmas Even office party after beating the draft by way of a bribe. He's a disappointment to his secretary and main squeeze, Katie Crocket, whose brother Ben is fighting overseas; and his honest young employee joey Ernest is guilt-ridden over all the divorce-racket keyhole peeping. Worst of all, his equally sleazy partner, Jake Marley, was murdered a year ago tonight and Stone didn't bother solving Jake's ho-ho homicide.
- Chicago, 1942. Private eye Richard Stone celebrates in his office with his staff and key clients after bribing a Draft Board official to avoid military service. Among those present are his secretary Katie, a nice girl whose brother Ben is serving in the Pacific, and Maggie, not a nice woman, widow of Stone's late partner, Jake Marley. Also present are his idealistic associate, Joey and his wife Linda; and Stone's pal Sgt. Hank Ross of Homicide, a reminder that the P.I. has not bothered to try to solve Marley's murder, a year ago tonight - Christmas Eve.
Falling asleep in his office, Stone is visited by Marley, doomed to an earth-bound purgatory because his partner didn't bother to solve his murder. Outlaw Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie & Clyde), the Ghost of Christmas Past, escorts Stone to revisit his idyllic childhood farm upbringing. When the family homestead is foreclosed, a family friend gets young Stone a job on the local police department, where he falls in with shady Deputy Chief Marley. Together they go to the big city and become successful, corrupt private detectives. But even Stone's crony Hank Ross of Homicide is shocked when Marley's murder does not move Stone into action.
Stone is visited next by Katie's young brother Ben, apparently home on leave. But Ben proves to be recently deceased in combat- he's the Ghost of Christmas Present, providing Stone with a look
The Ghost of Christmas Future comes calling, but Stone does not recognize the King (the otherwise unnamed Elvis Presley). The King reveals to Stone that Joey is about to quit - his pregnant wife Linda will go to work at a defense plant. Also, Stone sees Maggie and Turner getting married in Las Vegas...and witnesses his future self winding up on Death Row, convicted of Marley's murder. On Christmas Day, a changed man thanks to the ghostly visits, Stone confronts the killer and brings him (or is it her?) to justice. Then Stone goes to spend Christmas with Katie and her little family, knowing a terrible telegram is about to arrive.
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