spoiler have recur dream of his father judge cartwright tragic and deadly train accident every night paul cartwright and james lydon and be convince that his father death be no accident but a murder and the person who murder his father be in his dream and in the shadow not be able to be recognize . be very protective of his mother virginia and sally eilers and paul get very agitated and concerned when she get engage to marry a mr. brett curtis and warren williams . curtis come across a a suave and sophisticated as well a well travel gentleman who sweep virginia right off her foot . but paul who feel that he just not what he be and his background it just too perfect to be real . in his awaken state of mind paul see the event in his dream accruing over and over in real life which convince him that there something very strange and sinister about the very debonair and smooth talk brett curtis . paul also have a grudge feeling that brett be the man in the shadow in his dream who be responsible for his father death and also want to keep his mother from marry him . early cinematic psychological study about the mind and it deep secret and how they come to the surface when we least expect them to which make the movie strange illusion a unique movie for it time and 1945 and and as far a i know have never be duplicate since . thing in the film like brett strange behavior in regard to paul whom he sense be somehow on to him and his intention have him lose his cool from time to time and almost expose himself a the psychotic that he really be . paul have tap into something real and deadly through his subconscious and his dream and but unknowing to paul brett be work with professor muhlbach and charles arnt and who run the restview sanitarium where paul will soon be stay at . look into his late father file and that he keep lock in his study and paul find out about a mysterious mr. claude barrington who paul father be very interested in . judge cartwright felt that barrington commit a string of crime from murder and rape to embezzlement date back to 1932 when he be marry to the former miss . cecilia gordon who be find drown some six month after their marriage . barrington seem to have vanish and then pop up and commit crime almost at will all across the american southwest . barrington have a talent to disappear and resurface after each crime with a new and bogus identity and successfully avoid be fingerprint or photograph . it be judge cartwright closing in on him and be about to expose him and have him arrest and and make to pay for his crime and that lead to his unfortunate accident . paul also feel that barrington fake his own death and be now back to eliminate those who may be able to expose him a still be alive by be in the position of find judge cartwright secret file while the judge family . paul be sure that the late claude barrington be the very alive brett curtis . have to get rid of paul but not until brett be legally marry to virginia brett and professor muhlbach plan to have paul commit in his sanitarium and then have an accident that will put his search for the truth and about his dead father and to an end once in for all . with brett marry to virginia he can offer her sympathy comfort and understanding for the loss of her son and his step son until the time be right for her to have an accident too . with that brett can get his hand on the cartwright estate and and all the evidence that the judge gather on him and and have it destroy with no one who can be in the position to know about it and the judge file and or get their hand on them . mind twist movie with a surprise end that will more then just surprise .