Exit in Red

In this follow up to Mickey Rourke’s erotic performances in “Wild Orchid”  and “9 & 1/2 Weeks,” prominent Beverly Hills  psychiatrist, Ed Altman (Rourke), moves to Palm Springs, California after being accused of sexual misconduct which resulted in a patient’s suicide.  Fortunately, his beautiful attorney, Kate Harris (Carre Otis),  is able to get the charges dropped.  Kate, who loves him, hopes that now that the charges have been dropped,  she and Altman can have a romantic relationship.  Her hopes are dashed, when she  learns  that he is having sex with another woman, the gorgeous, dangerous, and very seductive Ally Mercer (Annabele Schofield).  However,  Ally’s husband  shows up in Altman’s office  and accuses him of having sex with his wife.   It turns out the the man who represented himself to be Kate’s husband, Nick, is an impostor, and Ally’s lover.

One night Alley calls Altman on the telephone saying that  her husband has just tried to rape her. When Altman hears a shot over the telephone, he, unaware of the deception, comes to Ally’s home to protect her only to discover her real husband face down on the floor covered with blood, murdered. Blood-spattered Ally is also at the scene and  admits killing him.  Altman soon discovers that has been set up to make it appear as though he is the murderer and that Ally and Nick have disappeared.  When the police  arrest him, Altman once again calls on Kate Harris. Now, Altman must prove his innocence.

“Exit in Red ”  came just at the period of Rourke’s career when  he was deeply depressed, had a bout with alcoholism, and almost left the movie industry, entirely. Occasionally, though Rourke would still make a picture, including “Exit in Red.”