After buying a half-interest in a small lodge near Reno, Tony Reagan (Scott Brady), a recently discharged veteran, runs into Danny Morgan (John Russell), an old friend from Chicago. Danny, who operates a Reno casino owned by Chicago racketeer Big Jim Lee, offers Tony a job, but Tony declines, stating that he gave up the "business" long ago. Tony shows Danny the engagement ring he plans to give Sally Lee, Big Jim's niece and ward, and Danny, in turn, shows off the ring he has bought for his girl. Confident and carefree, Tony then helps novice gambler Ann McKnight (Peggy Dow) win at the craps table.

The next day, after he wires Sally that he will be seeing her soon, Tony boards the same Chicago-bound airplane on which Ann is traveling. Tony and Ann, a schoolteacher, spend the flight chatting, and Ann can barely hide her disappointment when Tony tells her about Sally. As Tony deplanes in Chicago, he is met by police detective Charles "Chuck" Reckling (Bruce Bennett), a childhood friend, who informs him that his captain, Kerrigan (Thomas Browne Henry), wants to see him.

At the police station, Kerrigan advises Tony to leave town, but Tony refuses. Kerrigan has one of his men tail Tony, but Tony loses him and meets secretly with Sally.

That night, two men jump Tony, blindfold him, shoot him in the arm, drive Tony to a remote location, and he finds a gun in his car. He hears a police radio report announcing that Big Jim has been murdered and he, Tony, is the prime suspect. Panicked, the wounded Tony heads for Ann's home. Believing in Tony's innocence, Ann puts him up for the night.

In the garage of Danny's apartment building, Gene (Dan Ferniel ), a large man who was a devoted employee of Big Jim, beats Tony for killing his hero but is finally stopped by Danny.

Chuck tries to convince Kerrigan of Tony's innocence, but the captain is unimpressed and suspends Chuck for failing to report his meeting with Tony.

Tony finds Danny at the Lee house and asks him for help in the search. Danny and Sally go along with Tony's request, but when Tony recognizes the ring on Sally's finger as Danny's engagement ring, he infers their betrayal. Maintaining his composure, Tony accompanies Danny and two of his men, Stoner (Robert Anderson) and Frost (Gregg Martell), to Danny's apartment building. Moments after they enter Danny's garage, Chuck shows up. Trapped, Danny and his men draw their guns on Tony and Chuck. Noticing that Gene is hiding nearby, Tony loudly accuses Danny of killing Big Jim and jumps Stoner. Tony and Chuck then disarm Stoner and Frost, while Gene attacks Danny, killing him despite being shot several times. Later, Ann and Tony look forward to a happy future together in rural Nevada.

A 1949 American Black & White film-noir crime thriller B-Movie directed by William Castle, produced by Ralph Dietrich, screenplay by Arthur T. Horman and Lee Loeb, story by Norman, cinematography by Irving Glassberg, starring Scott Brady, John Russell, Dorothy Hart, Bruce Bennett, Gregg Martell, Robert Anderson, Daniel Ferniel, Charles Sherlock, Ann Pearce, Robert Easton and Rock Hudson. Screen debut appearances of Peggy Dow, and Robert Easton (uncredited, parking lot valet).

Observant fans will want to keep an eye out for a young Rock Hudson in his first credited role, in a small part as a detective. The movie marks the second film to feature Rock Hudson and the first in which he received a film credit for his work. He's billed as Roc Hudson.

Peggy Dow's co-star, actor Scott Brady, was in the beginning stages of his acting career. The following year she co-starred in another film-noir, "Shakedown" (1950), featuring Brady's brother, Lawrence Tierney, who was attempting to revive his already established career.

Tony stays at the Palmer House while in Chicago. That hotel's in a gag in "The Music Man" (1962). In River City, Professor Hill asks one of the townsfolk, "Excuse me, friend, where would I find a good hotel?", and gets the answer "Try the Palmer House in Chicago".

Universal International cranked out scores of cheap noir and noir-adjacent B-Movies during the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. Some more memorable than others, but all exhibit a basic competency due to the efficiency of the studio production system and the quality of Universal's stable of contract players.

Best known for fright fare such as "House on Haunted Hill" (1959), "The Tingler" (1959), and "Let’s Kill Uncle" (1966), cult director William Castle turns his lens on guns and gangsters for this crackling film-noir gem.

This brisk Universal programmer is a good, sturdy little film-noir crime thriller. The suspense never lets up with a decent number of red herrings and a brisk pace. There is some great camera work with good use of Chicago locations, and straight noir lighting touches for the El system. One of the lesser known film-noirs, this serpentine tale of mob-and-moll double-crosses, is an efficient thriller, and a time-filler well worth watching.