Stuart Erwin stars as Johnny Dill, a lingerie salesman whose steady relationship with Judy Parker comes to an end when she chooses his longtime friend, the smooth lawyer William T. Allen, over him. Judy Parker is portrayed by Anne Gwynne. After the breakup, Johnny struggles with the vibe that women want something different from what he offers, so he makes a bold, risky choice: reinvent himself as a tougher, more gangster-tinged version of the man he’s often been down on his luck with.
To test this new persona, Johnny heads to a bar to perform his revamped act, hoping the makeover will attract attention. The scene rattles the local underworld, especially Ben Welden as Big Nick Moronie, a notorious figure who is already known among criminals as “public enemy number 21.” Big Nick is in a tense rivalry with Maboose, the crime boss played by Milburn Stone. In a bid to settle scores, Big Nick sends his enforcer Little Joe, Mike Mazurki as Little Joe, to deal with Maboose. But the plan backfires: Little Joe shoots and kills Big Nick right in his own apartment, which sits just across the hall from Johnny’s place. With the body crammed into one of Johnny’s lingerie trunks because there’s nowhere else to stash it, the night takes a darker turn than Johnny bargained for.
Johnny discovers the corpse and tries to skip town, driving away with the body in his car. The police close in, and as they pursue him, the body slides from the car—and suddenly Johnny is the prime suspect in Big Nick’s murder. News outlets seize on the misfortune, dubbing him “Killer Dill,” a moniker that sticks even as the truth remains elusive. Forced into the spotlight, Johnny must confront a growing sense of danger while trying to maintain his reputation.
A courtroom showdown follows, with Johnny receiving a defense from an unlikely ally: his old friend William T. Allen. The trial provides a verdict that is technically not guilty, but public perception lingers on the notion that Johnny is the killer. In the shadows of superstition and fear, Louie Moronie, Big Nick’s brother, becomes hungry for vengeance, pressing for a reckoning that Johnny can’t simply outrun. Johnny weighs protection options and considers a partnership with Maboose, while Little Joe appears to be playing both sides of the street, negotiating with Maboose in a bid to remove Louie from the equation.
The tension peaks as Johnny and Little Joe cross paths in a brutal, symbolic confrontation. A moment of danger unfolds when Johnny brandishes a toy pistol in a tense standoff with Little Joe, forcing him to sign a statement taking responsibility for the murder. The twist comes when Little Joe discovers the gun is a toy—and in the ensuing struggle, Louie Moronie arrives to intervene, and Little Joe is thrown out of a window in a chaotic clash.
William, who has quietly been working for Maboose, pressures Johnny to destroy the incriminating statement to protect his boss. In the aftermath, Judy Parker finally sees the kind of man Johnny truly is: a stand-up, loyal person who can face enormous danger with integrity. Her resolve shifts, and she rejects her engagement to William, choosing to propose to Johnny instead, signaling a hopeful turn for the man who dared to redefine himself under pressure.
Throughout this turbulent tale, the characters weave a tight web of loyalty, deception, and ambition. Johnny’s transformation is tested at every turn—from the barroom bravado that triggers a deadly chain of events to the courtroom drama that fails to quiet the whispers of guilt. The story keeps its footing by staying true to the core tension: the clash between appearance and truth, and the moment when love and courage converge to reveal the real person beneath a flashy façade.
