Powder Town

Brilliant but absent-minded scientist Young J. Quincy Pennant develops an explosive method that directs a shock wave past obstructions to strike a distant target. He is sent to a rapidly growing powder town built around a major arsenal and munitions factory. His experimental work lays the groundwork for the conflict between invention, industry, and espionage.

Pennant is placed in a boarding house where he is the only male sharing with five female entertainers who work at a local casino run by gangsters. He becomes a quiet observer amid the rambunctious residents, the casino staff, and the underworld politics that swirl around them. The unusual living arrangement sets up personal conflicts that will intersect with his scientific mission.

Jeems O'Shea, head of the powder monkeys, and his sycophant Billy arrive at the house. O'Shea pesters the women and chases them around, roughhousing in the corridors. Pennant, exasperated, casually punches O'Shea, sending him tumbling down the stairs and out cold, shocking everyone with his strength.

At the factory, Pennant formally meets O'Shea, who is surprised that the lanky genius is not the giant he imagined. O'Shea tries to intimidate him, but Pennant's absent-minded calm misreads the threats as mere bravado. O'Shea interprets this as cool courage and quickly gives him de facto protection as a bodyguard.

As Pennant develops his shock-wave explosive concept, he is given his own pistol and assigned O'Shea as a bodyguard. The arrangement reflects how dangerous the invention is and how the factory relies on loyal protection to guard the inventor. The pair bond in a reluctant partnership amid looming espionage.

Pennant falls in love with Sally Dean, who also lives at the boarding house. Unknown to him, Sally has been paid by gangster boss Oliver Lindsay to steal the explosive formula. The romance complicates the protection of the secret and foreshadows betrayal.

One night, O'Shea takes Pennant out for a town outing, while the naive scientist remains oblivious to assassination and abduction attempts by enemy agents. O'Shea interprets Pennant's calmness as coolness under pressure and tolerates the risks. The night becomes a test of their partnership.

Pennant is introduced to his first alcoholic drink, and he breaks the bank at the casino, winning $900 and earning admiration from the women. The casino's atmosphere and the gangsters' resentment tilt the evening toward danger. This victory draws attention from Lindsay and his men.

The gangsters start a brawl to retrieve their money, but O'Shea and Pennant resist and repel them. O'Shea demolishes both the aggressors and the casino itself, saving Pennant and the women from a brutal counterattack. The incident escalates tensions between the investors, the underworld, and the factory's operation.

Dr Wayne, who runs the factory, threatens to fire Pennant after learning of his gambling and romantic entanglements. Pennant insists he wants to continue seeing Sally, who holds the secret formula for safe-keeping. The conflict raises the stakes for Pennant's future at the plant.

Enemy agents and Lindsay press on with efforts to obtain Pennant's formula. They intensify their search around the factory and pursue the inventor, increasing risk to everyone nearby. The threat of espionage becomes a central driver of the plot.

Gangsters search the factory for Pennant and find O'Shea in the way. They tie up the two men and attempt to blow up the factory by setting a five-minute timer on a cart loaded with dynamite. Dr Wayne and the guards, along with the girls, arrive in time to free them and thwart the sabotage.

Released in time, O'Shea and Pennant push the explosives cart down the hill to avert the blast. The cart detonates against the getaway car, destroying it and scattering the criminals. The duo's teamwork saves lives and demonstrates the power of their alliance.

With the danger averted, the heroes return to Dr Wayne and the girls, and they share a kiss as a reward for surviving the ordeal. The factory is saved, and the workers embrace their partners amid relief and triumph. The ending reaffirms loyalty and courage over treachery.

Dr Wayne is shown the coded formula written on a wall in the factory office, a visual reminder that the invention remains a source of power and peril. The moment hints at future challenges posed by espionage and technological breakthroughs. The film closes on a note of scientific ambition tempered by danger.