John Garfield is hard drinking boxer Johnnie Bradfield, who through a twist of fate, becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. Rather than take the fall for a crime he did not commit, Johnnie goes on the run, hiding out on a farm where a group of juvenile delinquents (The Dead End Kids) have been sent to work. Taking it upon himself to help set this group straight, the clock ticks as tireless detective (Claude Rains) closes in and the fate of the boxer and the future of the kids hang in the balance. Combining well choreographed fight and action scenes with the suspense and drama delivered by Garfield, Sheridan and Rains, director Busby Berkeley creates an exciting and sympathetic story of a life and redemption.