Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he'll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that's now how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank's hope is turned to hopelessness. And he's starting to crack.

Two of the screen's famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney "hits a white-hot peak as (Ross,) the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy" (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney's friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.