An attempted murder on Hollywood’s famed Mulholland Drive goes awry when a car crash kills the assailant and leaves the victim, a beautiful dark-haired woman, with amnesia. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles, unable to remember her own identity. She eventually finds her way into an apartment occupied by aspiring actress Betty Wells. The woman, after being discovered by Betty, claims falsely that her name is “Rita” – taking the name from a movie poster for the film  Gilda , starring Rita Hayworth – and explains to Betty that she has amnesia and is in danger. From there, the two women embark on a journey to try and learn Rita’s true identity.