Afraid to Talk

During the Depression, corrupt mayor Billy Manning runs for re-election as his political machine works to polish his public image. The city is shown as controlled by cronies who will do anything to preserve power.

In a hotel room, Jig Skelli shoots a local mobster, and bellhop Eddie Martin witnesses the killing. The police take Martin into custody and A.D.A. John Wade pressures him to name Jig, while Peggy is kept from warning him about threats.

Martin's arrest leads to his name being released to the media as the prime witness against Jig. Wade pushes to secure a confession through pressure and intimidation, leveraging the mayor's allies to shape the case. Peggy is blocked from warning him due to threats on their lives.

Jig Skelli's brother Joe meets with court officials, presenting documents from the dead mobster that detail corrupt activities of the Mayor's cronies. He pressures officials to drop the charges and free Jig, to protect their interests. Eddie and Peggy are promised a protective move to New York.

To celebrate Jig's release, his associates shoot up the neighborhood, and an innocent child is killed in the crossfire. The violence underscores the power and fear surrounding the case, illustrating the consequences of the machine's corruption.

With Jig not easily reindicted, the mayor's clique pushes an alternate theory that Eddie killed the mobster. Eddie is arrested and intensely interrogated in a bid to force a confession. The pressure shows how the authorities bend the truth to protect their interests.

A doctor at the scene insists Eddie will die if he is not immediately taken to a hospital. Wade reluctantly allows Eddie to be moved to hospital for treatment and safety. This moment buys Eddie critical time before the frame-up can proceed.

In Eddie's hospital room, a sympathetic doctor sneaks in a progressive lawyer who begins to assemble evidence that could counter the city's case. The doctor and lawyer work to expose flaws in the prosecution's narrative. The medical setting becomes a platform for legal defense.

The clique arranges a staged hanging to kill Eddie, but Police Commissioner Garvey, who has quit in protest, reaches the detention facility in time to stop the attempt and to save Eddie. His intervention demonstrates a last-ditch stand for lawful justice against the machine.

The press reveals the criminal activities of Manning's cronies, exposing the corruption to the public. The party chairman and A.D.A. Hyde manage to stay out of records of these events, preserving their jobs and reputations.

Hyde has been secretly involved with Jig Skelli's girlfriend, Marge Winters, a detail that surfaces in the fallout. Hyde is killed by Jig Skelli's gang, removing a key ally from the frame.

In the final moment, the party chair defends Hyde's reputation and asks where another man of integrity to lead the city will be found. The film ends on a note of uncertainty about ethical leadership amid pervasive corruption.