The 1949 film "Scene of the Crime", is a crime film about a police lieutenant and a squad of detectives who hunt for the killer of a detective. The film was based on the magazine article "Smashing the Bookie Gang Marauders" by John Bartlow Martin. Informers lead the detectives to two men who have been robbing gangsters of cash. One informer tells the police that one of the men saves all kinds of items including pennies (US copper cents) and is looking for a rare penny that an automobile company will trade an automobile for. Some pennies are shown in a box along with other items. There is a discussion about rare pennies which may have been inspired by the publicity about the 1944 find of a copper 1943 cent minted in error. The US officially minted all 1943 cents from steel and zinc.

Police detective lieutenant Mike Conovan is assigned to investigate the death of detective Ed Monigan who is shot to death and found with $1,000 in cash on him. A crew of gangsters have been robbing "bookie joints" of cash and some police believe that the deceased detective was working for gangsters as a private security guard for bookies. Bookies were men who operated an illegal gambling business called "bookmaking" where people could place bets on horse races and other sporting events. Detective Conovan has been married to Gloria for four years. Gloria is a beautiful woman and professional model who is becoming upset with her husband's occupation. Mike and Gloria are about to spend the evening together when he receives a telephone call that he is needed at a crime scene.

The three detectives meet at the scene of the crime, the murder of detective Monigan.

An informant named Sleeper tells the detectives that two men, Turk and Lafe, have been robbing bookies. Mike and Gordon, another detective, find and talk to Turk.

Gloria and Mike go for a drive and find that they have a passenger.

Sleeper has been hiding in their car and refers Mike to another informant, Loomis, a shoeshine man.

Loomis tells Mike and detective Gordon:

The "kind of penny" might be the rare 1943 copper cent, which got a lot of publicity when one was found in 1944 by a coin collector in Long Beach, California. Also, in 1947, there was a rumor that the Ford Motor Company would give a new car for such a penny. The story about this rumor appears in some "Urban Legend" books and websites.

Mike finds out that Turk has been seeing Lili, an entertainer at a club. Mike visits the club and asks Lili for a date which she accepts.

Lili is impressed with the expensive restaurant and with Mike, even when he tells her that he is a policeman and married. Conovan and Gordon arrange another meeting with Sleeper.

Sleeper has been killed by the gangsters. At the police office Conovan keeps a board with photographs of men.

The photos are of suspects and those killed so far. Mike is at home with Gloria when he gets another call from the office with gangster Lafe's address. Gloria hands him his gun.

Mike heads to Lafe's apartment.

While Lafe sleeps, Mike searches the place and finds a drawer.

In the drawer is Lafe's collection of odds and ends, pennies, and matchbooks.

These coins would all be "wheaties" or wheat-back Lincoln cents. There could be some Indian Head cents also. Conovan wakes up Lafe, arrests him, and takes him outside.

Lafe is killed by drive-by shooters. Another informant tells Conovan that the robbery gang is going to attack the head office of the bookies.

Conovan asks Captain Forster for permission to lead a raid but is denied. Lili tells Mike where Turk is hiding and along with Gordon they drive to the location.

Mike and Lili begin arguing and she tells him that she loves Turk. He drives back to the police station and Lili leaves. Mike sees his wife Gloria and she tells him that she is going to leave him. The police captain and Conovan plan a raid on the surviving gangsters.

A gunfight ensues between the police and two gangsters in a car.

The car is hit, catches fire, and Turk exits the car leaving another gangster.

The police rescue the other man and both men are taken to the hospital. They inform Turk that he is dying and should confess his crimes.

Turk admits shooting the policeman Monigan because Monigan was going to arrest him. Turk also tells the police that he left the $1,000 in cash to give the police a false lead. The confession clears the deceased detective Monigan of working for gangsters. Mike drives to the airport to talk to Gloria before her flight and finds her waiting for him.

The airplane takes off without Gloria.

Van Johnson as Lieutenant Mike Conovan
Arlene Dahl as Gloria Conovan
Gloria DeHaven as Lili (Nightclub entertainer)
Tom Drake as Detective C.C. Gordon
Leon Ames as Captain A. C. Forster
John McIntire as Detective Fred Piper
Norman Lloyd as Sleeper
Caleb Peterson as Loomis (Shoeshine man)
Richard Benedict as Turk Kingby
William Haade as Lafe Douque
Director: Roy Rowland
Writers: Charles Schnee, John Bartlow Martin