VanJohnsonplaysablindAmericanwriterwhoisrentinganapartmentonBakerStreetwhileinLondonfortheopeningofhisnewplay.Afterarowwithhisformerfiancée(VeraMiles),hedecampstothelocalpubtodrownhisself-pitywithadrink.There,hisacutehearingpicksuphushedsnatchesofconversationfromthenextbooth.Convincedthatakidnapplotisintheoffing,herushestothepolice,whoarepolitebutrefusetobelievehim.However,JohnsonknowswhatheheardistrueandengagesthehelpofVeraandCecilParker,hissecretary,tofindthekidnappersandsavetheunknownvictim.Thisterrificsuspensefilmtakesinterestingchanceswiththegenre.Johnsonscharacterisastudyinfrustration,aportraitofamaninvestigatingsomethingheknowsexistsbutcannotsee.Thedirectionbuildstensionwellandissupportedbyafinemusicalbackgroundwhichheightensthemood.23PacestoBakerStreetwasoneofseveral20thCentury-FoxfilmsshotonlocationinLondontotakeadvantageofFoxsfrozenfunds--moneyearnedbythestudioinEnglandwhichbylawcouldonlybespentinthatcountry.