Lorre stars as Janos Szabo, a recent Hungarian immigrant to New York City whose aspiration to live out the American Dream is quickly destroyed when he is burned in a hotel fire, leaving his face disfigured. He is only able to find work washing dishes and becomes frustrated and hurt by the discrimination he experiences as a result of his physical abnormalities. He befriends a criminal named Dinky (George E. Stone) and joins him and his gang as a petty burglar. Szabo meets and instantly falls in love with Helen (Evelyn Keyes), a blind woman who sees Szabo’s inner beauty and encourages him to leave the gang. Critic Don Stell praised Lorre’s command over this film, portraying the lead character’s depth by effectively showing both his inner and outer struggles.