Jaded World War I veteran James Allen (Paul Muni) dreams of creating a new life, but those dreams are shattered when he is implicated in a robbery and sentenced to 10 years on a chain gang. The brutal prison conditions compel James to break out and flee to Chicago, where he assumes a new identity and, over time, becomes a successful businessman. His freedom and happiness are threatened, however, when his scheming landlady (Glenda Farrell) discovers his secret and threatens to blackmail him.