Elizabeth Cree

As Elizabeth Cree is hanged for the murder of her husband, she utters “here we are again.” Then, months earlier, we see her standing trial. The prosecution asks about her life before marriage. In her memory, we see her in poverty with her abusive mother. Her mother dies and she runs across town to a music hall. She watches a variety show and is enthralled with a skit played by a famous comedian. She is adopted into his troupe of performers and eventually makes her own stage debut and meets her future husband, (a playwright and critic) John Cree.

Meanwhile, the murder of a young prostitute has put London in a panic and the inspector assigned to the case interrogates possible acquaintances of the victim. Outside these excerpts and memories, the trial continues. A Hebrew scholar is murdered and the inspector interrogates Karl Marx.

Elizabeth has gained enough fame she grows bored of her innocent roles and performs a song in male attire called “Here We Are Again.” Meanwhile the inspector investigates the murder of the entire Gerrard family and questions Elizabeth’s comedian friend who once served the family. John and Elizabeth marry but John is frustrated that Elizabeth won’t consummate their marriage.

Elizabeth engages Aveline as a housekeeper and looks on approvingly when John acts on his attraction to Aveline and flirts with her. John disappears and Elizabeth is tried and convicted of his murder.

A year later John’s play has been rewritten to capitalize on his murder and it stars Aveline as Elizabeth. A malfunction occurs on stage and the comedian remarks “Here we are again.”