Mr. Soft Touch

Joe Miracle returns from fighting in World War II to a San Francisco nightclub now controlled by the mob, with his partner Leo missing and presumed murdered. He steals $100,000 from the club’s safe and begins planning a rapid exit from the country. The sudden loss of his old world pushes him toward drastic action to escape.

Victor and Clara have arranged a ticket for him on an ocean voyage, but the only available ship sails on Christmas Eve, two days away. Joe must go into hiding to avoid mob retaliation while he waits for the voyage. The looming departure forces him to keep a low profile in a dangerous underworld.

Police come to stop Victor for a disturbance, and Joe pretends to be Victor to spend the night safely in jail. Jenny Jones, a kind local social worker who had previously visited Victor and Clara, remands him into her custody. This mistake draws Joe into a chance meeting with her at the jail.

Jenny takes Joe to the Borden Street Settlement House, a place for the down-and-out to find help. As they settle in, Joe and Jenny begin to fall in love, though she believes he is Victor. The tension between their identities creates a fragile bond.

While decorating for Christmas, Joe falls from a ladder and crashes into an old upright piano. The accident bruises his pride and complicates their relationship, because it underscores the fragility of his double life. He brushes himself off and carries on with his plan.

To blend in, he visits a piano store that doubles as a backroom gambling parlor and poses as a detective. He convinces the owner to donate a piano in exchange for Joe turning a blind eye to the illicit activities. The scheme foreshadows how he will navigate crime and charity side by side.

Local muckraking columnist Henry Early Byrd spots Joe through the crime coverage and recognizes him. He had written articles about the nightclub heist, and his attention adds pressure on Joe and Jenny. The shipments of a grand piano and linens arriving at the settlement house hint at Joe’s involvement.

Byrd presses for Joe's real identity and the source of protection for the crooks; Joe refuses to name anyone. In a tense confrontation, Jenny questions Joe about his motives, and he reveals his lifelong drive to escape the gutter. She counters with her own confession about a childhood deafness caused by her father’s drunken blow.

Mobsters force Clara to reveal Joe’s hiding place and set a fire at the settlement house to smoke him out. The blaze destroys the building and allows the gang to recover the money. Joe’s plan to escape and rebuild is suddenly imperiled.

Joe slips into the backroom to retrieve his hidden loot from the office vault of the new crime boss Barney Teener. He uses a secret passage to bypass guards and secures the money before exiting. The heist demonstrates Joe’s willingness to confront danger to reclaim what was stolen.

To restore hope, Joe hires homeless men to dress as Santa Claus and distribute presents to the children at a fundraiser back at the settlement house. He then reveals himself as one of the Santas and donates money to pay for rebuilding the settlement house. The gesture is both a benevolent act and a savvy move to win Jenny’s trust.

Jenny realizes Joe's true benevolent purpose and chases him out into the street, calling his name. The waiting mobsters shoot him in the back, and he collapses in the gutter. Jenny lifts him into her arms and, in a final moment, tells him he is not in the gutter anymore, leaving his fate unresolved.