Third Man Out

Did You Know?

• This film reveals that before becoming a private investigator, Donald was in the armed services but was forced out because of the ban on gay servicemembers.
• The subplot of Donald's military service is explored further in the sequel, Shock to the System.

Plot

The story begins with John Rutka apparently shot at his home, which he shares with Eddie Santin. Private investigator Donald Strachey later goes to a hospital to see a client and spots his partner, Tim Callahan, accompanying a New York State senator who is there for a photo opportunity with the unconscious Catholic Bishop McFee. Santin tells Strachey the client is Rutka, a man Strachey hates because he publicly exposes prominent local closeted homophobes. Strachey first says no to the job, but after Rutka is attacked and offers a big payment, he agrees. Rutka shows Strachey files on people he plans to out, including state politician Bruno Slinger, who voted against gay rights. A fire starts at Rutka's house, and Strachey puts it out. The next day, news reports say Rutka is dead. Santin calls Strachey angrily; Strachey says sorry, goes back with Santin to get Rutka's files, and takes the case again. Santin lists three upcoming targets: Slinger, children's TV host Ronnie Linklater, and an unnamed man. Strachey finds a torn-off mudflap and initials for three people Rutka paid. He tracks two to hotel owners who spied on guests for Rutka; they say Slinger had a sexual relationship with Linklater and that Linklater had weekly sex with a man who may have died accidentally. Strachey follows a license plate to used car dealer Art Murphy, who won't cooperate. The man who visited Rutka in the hospital attacks Callahan at their home; Strachey chases him off, but Callahan ends up in the hospital. Strachey thinks about quitting, but Callahan, who now sees Rutka differently, talks him into continuing. Strachey questions Linklater, who says neither he nor Slinger had anything to do with Rutka's death and won't name the unknown man. As Strachey leaves, the attacker jumps him and knocks him out. When he wakes, he meets the attacker's boss, Slinger, who also says he didn't kill Rutka and demands Rutka's file. Slinger lets Strachey go, only telling him that both Linklater and Rutka were part of St. Michael's choir.

Production notes

Although this was the first film adaptation of a Richard Stevenson book about Donald Strachey, it was not the first of his novels published. The order of the films differs from that of the books; characters such as Detective Bub Bailey and Kenny Kwon are introduced here and appear again in On the Other Hand, Death and Ice Blues, even though the novels those films adapt took place chronologically before the book version of Third Man Out. Some minor details were changed: in the novel, Rutka's publication Queerscreed was print-only, while in the film it is renamed The Rutka Report and is also available on the web.