In downtown Los Angeles, California, an alcoholic actress with the stage name “Viveca Van Loren” awakens from a blackout in a pool of blood, lying next to a dead man. Shocked and oblivious to her whereabouts, Viveca notices that the bedroom television is broadcasting an interview with her deceased bedfellow; he is Bobby Korshack, a controversial fitness photographer who was prosecuted on obscenity charges. Finding a knife in Korshack’s chest, Viveca stumbles through the studio for a glass of wine, washes blood from her hands, then telephones her hairdresser and confidante, Joaquin “Jacky” Manero. When she tells him about the dead man, Jacky advises her to call the police. However, she cannot be sure of her innocence, so she leaves the studio and hails a cab. Surprised to learn it is Thanksgiving, Viveca cashes a check at a local bar, packs luggage, and heads to the airport. When she learns that all flights are booked, she rushes outside and provokes a minor curbside automobile accident. Fleeing the scene, Viveca jumps into a nearby jalopy owned by Turner Kendall, who drives Viveca away from the airport, spouting racial epithets and explaining that he was dropping off his young daughter; the girl is taking a return flight to her mother’s home. After chastising Turner for his bigotry, Viveca parts with him downtown, and sneaks back into Korshack’s studio. There, she scours the premises with cleaning supplies and apologizes to Korshack’s corpse. Stuffing the murder weapon in a pillowcase, Viveca prepares to leave, but observes that Korshack’s cat is trapped behind the closet door. Fearing that someone is hiding there, Viveca opens the studio’s front door and is startled to discover Turner, waiting in the hallway. He claims Viveca dropped her wallet, as well as a matchbook with the studio’s address, and drives her home, admitting that he is a former police officer, discharged on disability. At her apartment, Viveca orders Turner to disappear by the time she counts to three, but he remains on her doorstep and she invites him inside. Noticing that she has no food, Turner goes to a store and returns to make a candle-lit, turkey sandwich Thanksgiving dinner. As Viveca becomes increasingly intoxicated and tells Turner that she was once a promising actress, Jacky phones, and Viveca falls asleep with the receiver in her hand. Turner tidies the bathroom, closes the shower door, and leaves. The next morning, Viveca discovers Bobby Korshack’s corpse in her shower and runs away as police officers converge at the apartment. Turner, who happens to be driving by, grabs Viveca and calms her with beer. She tells him about her blackout and Korshack’s murder, but she refuses to call the police because her former husband had her imprisoned for domestic violence. Viveca adds that she is currently married to her hairdresser, Jacky, though they live apart. She insists that she has been framed for Korshack’s murder. Despite a mounting animosity between them, Turner delivers the actress to the apartment of her drag queen friend, Frankie, who lends her clothes and makeup. Heading back outside, Viveca is surprised to find Turner waiting in his jalopy. He declares that she must be innocent, because he did not see Korshack’s body in her shower the night before. At a café, Turner learns that Viveca and Jacky separated not long after their wedding, but Jacky, an ambitious entrepreneur, continues to support Viveca financially. Turner convinces the actress to telephone his former police colleague, Sgt. Herb Greenbaum. She anonymously reports that the murder occurred at Korshack’s studio downtown, not her apartment, where the body was found. Turner then takes Viveca to his makeshift, Quonset hut home, and she is delighted by his extensive book collection. Admitting that her real name is Alexandra “Alex” Sternbergen, Viveca refuses Turner’s offer of vodka, and they make love. However, Viveca awakens in the night and gets drunk. In the morning, Turner gives Viveca a newspaper that announces she is a murder suspect. Intoxicated and belligerent, Viveca becomes incensed when Turner suggests she is the perfect target for a swindler. Although Turner orders Viveca to stay at his home, she sneaks away to meet her lawyer, Hurley, who says that Jacky contacted him to start divorce proceedings. Startled by the news, Viveca heads to Jacky’s salon and asks him to change her appearance. Jacky is seeking the divorce because he is courting another client, heiress Isabel Harding, who will finance his career. Meanwhile, Turner returns to Korshack’s building, interviews a neighbor, and finds the photographer’s abandoned cat. Outside, Turner runs into Sgt. Greenbaum and feigns ignorance about the case, but the detective orders his men to track down Turner’s home address. Back at the salon, Viveca is delighted by her transformation into a brunette, and her return to her true identity as Alex Sternbergen. When she tells Jacky about Turner, the hairdresser suggests that Turner is Korshack’s killer and convinces Viveca to stay at the salon while he attends a dinner party at the home of Isabel’s wealthy parents. That evening, Turner goes to the salon, unaware that Sgt. Greenbaum is following him. When Viveca discovers Turner in a wig closet, he declares that Korshack’s killer framed the actress by having another woman, disguised as Viveca, run through the hall to confuse the photographer’s neighbors. When Turner points out Alex’s new hair color, the actress realizes that Jacky deceived her. Meanwhile, Jacky and Isabel return to the salon. The hairdresser hits Turner over the head with a vase, knocking him to the ground, then restrains Viveca. Revealing that Isabel is Korshack’s true killer, Jacky attempts to drown Viveca in the bathtub, but Turner regains consciousness and shoots him in the arm. Just then, Sgt. Greenbaum and his policemen arrive, and Isabel pins the murder on Jacky. However, Jacky explains that Isabel murdered the photographer because he was blackmailing her with illicit photographs. Sgt. Greenbaum is sympathetic to Isabel’s plea when he learns that her father is a judge, and Jacky realizes he has been had. Sometime later, Viveca, now calling herself Alex, visits Turner at the hospital and reports that Jacky and Isabel are both suspects in the murder. Turner believes Isabel is guilty, but expects that Jacky will be held accountable. Announcing that she has been sober two days, Alex admits that she wants to pursue a relationship with Turner, and he confesses to being a former alcoholic. Despite their attraction, Turner asks Alex to disappear by the time he counts to three, and she walks out the door. Remembering how Turner remained at her doorstep the night they met, Alex returns to his bedside and tearfully declares that he makes her happy.