Prison convict Joe Sullivan (Dennis O'Keefe) has "taken the fall" for an unspecified $50,000 crime but breaks out of jail with the help of his girl Pat (Claire Trevor). Neither is aware that the escape has been facilitated by their former accomplice Rick Coyle (Raymond Burr), a sadistic mobster, who has arranged for Joe to be killed in order to avoid paying Joe his share of the $50,000 take. When the break-out succeeds, Rick decides that he must have Joe killed some other way.