Marlowe
Marlowe is a private investigator and the protagonist of the film. He's hired by Moose Malloy to find a woman named Velma. But as things progress he gets caught up in to murder, robbery and betrayal that belongs to a deep web of lies within the Grayle family. He finds himself at the center of danger until he is able to find Moose's girl and reveal the identity of the murderer that the Grayle family has gotten mixed up with.
Ann
Ann Grayle is the daughter of a very wealthy man, and she uses Malowe to help figure out what is happening between her father and her new wife, Helen. She stays on the side of Marlowe and in the end the two become very close and share a kiss after the gun smoke clears.
Moose
Moose Malloy is a giant of a man and the most physically imposing character in the film. He comes to Marlowe to get him to find his girl, Velma. Malloy is played by Amthor who keeps him away from his love. In the end Moose looses his girl and his life when he attacks Mr. Grayle who guns him down.
Helen
Helen is Mr. Grayle's new wife. She is much younger than him and Grayle's daughter, Ann believes she is no good. Grayle himself even knows she is after his money. She disappears after the deat of Marriott to the Grayle beach house and she employs Marlowe to help find Marriott's killer. But she is the killer and when found out, Grayle shoots her down.
Mr. Grayle
Mr. Grayle is a wealthy business man who has married, Helen a much younger woman. After Helen's prized jewels go missing and a man is killed he is seeking for who has done it. Helen disappears in the midst of all of this and when he finds her at the beach house he discovers that she is the one who killed Marriott and is attempting to clean it all up so that the blame can go on someone else. But in stead of helping her knock off Marlowe, Grayle kills her instead and then has to shoot Moose Malloy to stop him from killing him.
Amthor
Amthor is a highly paid and renowned "quack" who knows that Helen has killed Marriott and is using it against her for blackmail. He wants the jewelry that she has and will do anything to get it. He drugs Marlowe for the information and manipulates Moose to get what he wants. But when he lies to Moose about where his precious Velma is Moose kills him.
