15 years ago Paul Jordan was a star in Hollywood musicals. But then he retired from showbiz and married the rich Joan. Now, after being dependent on his wife's money for many years, he's sick of it and wants to work again. A romantic affair with his stepdaughter, Shirley, gives him the guts to ask for a role. His former agent gets him one but it's with a small company in Vienna, Austria. The stress worsens his alcoholism; the tablets he takes to hide the effects lead him to hallucinations. When his wife and girlfriend appear at the same time, he's no longer capable of handling the situation.
프리랜서 저널리스트인 피터 밀러는 스스로 목숨을 끊은 한 유태인 노인의 비망록을 입수하게 된다. 피터 밀러는 유태인 강제 수용소를 만들도록 지시한 나치 독일의 히틀러 친위대 SS의 책임자, 암호명 오데사라는 인물의 정체를 추적하게 되고, 차츰 그의 실체에 다가서는데...