The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):
'ALBERT MORTON. Fiftyish, rather drab and sad, a man who has worked hard all his life without really getting anywhere, and who now sees his world crumbling.
'BRIAN SLADE Thirties, smart, intelligent, with-it. A young man who has seen a great future in a comparatively dull job and who, in his search for compensating excitement, has become associated with criminals. He cannot accept this role but finds himself too weak to break their hold.
'GIOVANNI STEFANO. Forties. A ruthless manipulator of people who has built a modest migrants' club into a major gambling and crime syndicate.
'HARKNESS. Manager of a credit company. Late forties, efficient, rather tense, humourless and unemotional. To him, human values can only be assessed in red and black.
'JENNY MORTON. An attractive and intelligent girl, early twenties.
'PAUL CAVANAGH. Twenties. Good-looking, slightly spoilt son of wealthy parents, who despite a playboy image, is genuinely fond of Jenny.
'MRS. MORTON. Fifties. Invalid wife of Bert Morton who tries to play down her illness and stay cheerful for the sake of her husband and daughter.
'LUCIANO VIRGONA. Thirties. Big, bouncerish.
'ANNA ZELLINI. Twenties. An attractive but haunting girl. Only a few lines, but must make a strong impression. Fundamentally decent, she has been bullied and conned into becoming a prostitute.
'SALLY HOWARD. Quite attractive. A bright, warm young girl who is Morton's only real friend at his office.
'DR. HOLMAN. A capable surgeon.
'SIR GEORGE WELLMAN. Fifties, distinguished. Brilliant neuro surgeon.'
