Expert safecracker Broderick Crawford gets out of prison and reluctantly turns straight. He's a three-time loser, and the next felony is for life. So he's working as a janitor for the the basement apartment and eight bucks a week, when he smells gas and discovers that Virginia Bruce, who's about to be evicted, has tried to kill herself. He rescues her and her baby and wrangles with Dick Foran, who's trying to be a by-the-book cop. But Foran falls for Miss Bruce, and tries to give Crawford a break, while Crawford falls for the baby, since ladies are out of his league.
It's based on a Damon Runyon story. In fact, the credits announce this is "Damon Runyon's most famous COLLIER'S MAGAZINE story" and he not only gets a writing credit, it's "A Damon Runyon Production." And with the usual collection of Runyon's sentimental gangsters, played by comics like Richard Lane, Shemp Howard,Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Kennedy, it certainly has its moments of amusement Crawford was excellent in this period playing a sentimental slob of a hood, and he's a fine lead here, even if Miss Bruce gets top credit.
It's based on a Damon Runyon story. In fact, the credits announce this is "Damon Runyon's most famous COLLIER'S MAGAZINE story" and he not only gets a writing credit, it's "A Damon Runyon Production." And with the usual collection of Runyon's sentimental gangsters, played by comics like Richard Lane, Shemp Howard,Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Kennedy, it certainly has its moments of amusement Crawford was excellent in this period playing a sentimental slob of a hood, and he's a fine lead here, even if Miss Bruce gets top credit.