Edward G. Robinson stars in this 1939 film about a man being haunted by a past sin. An oil fire is raging & the nearest outfit to handle it is called in which is run by Robinson & company. A success in his trade & a consummate family man, his life is turned upside down when a figure from his past shows up at his door looking for a handout. It turns out Robinson was involved in a crime years before & instead of facing the consequences, he changed his name & started a new life for himself but when the beggar offers to accept the blame for the committed misdeed, Robinson is put into a tough position to clear his name (the man says he'll give Robinson a written confession of the crime in exchange for some money & a stake in Robinson's oil well). When the man reneges on his confession, Robinson is thrown in jail to stew. Running a brief running time, this typical Warner Bros. crime flick is slightly undone by its busy plotting but the crisp direction (the montages are killer) & pros in front of the camera makes the flaws imminently forgivable.
