The Doorway to Hell

Louie Lamarr becomes the underworld boss of Chicago, unifying the city’s gangs under a protection racket. He enforces territorial boundaries and punishes rule-breakers with deadly force. This control brings peace on the streets and enormous profits.

With Louie at the top, crime operates like a disciplined business, and violence drops as the gangs pay him for protection. He maintains a balance between fear and order, ensuring predictable profits for everyone involved. The city experiences a tense, uneasy peace that suits most players.

Louie meets Doris and falls in love, but she is secretly in love with Louie’s best friend Mileaway. The dynamic ties his personal life to the crime world and foreshadows coming conflicts. Doris’ ambitions begin to shape Louie’s choices ahead.

Louie resolves to get out of the rackets while he can. He marries Doris and they head toward Florida, stopping to visit Jackie at his military boarding school. They share dinner with Jackie, and Louie muses about his nephew’s future.

At dinner with the Major, Louie notes that war is a grand racket, but the Major counters that it is cruel and profitless. The exchange makes Louie pause and rethink his philosophy about power and violence. The Major hints at a different path for the young cadets.

Mileaway bombards Louie with letters and telegrams, declaring he will not tolerate Louie’s absence. Louie refuses to return and keeps Doris and his kid brother out of the racket. The revelation that Jackie exists intensifies tensions and triggers a violent gang war.

Louie spends time in Florida pretending to retire, playing golf after a near-miss moment with danger. He writes his memoirs for five hours a day, reflecting on his life as a gangster. Doris keeps Mileaway in the loop, complicating loyalties back home.

To force Louie back, some gangsters attempt to kidnap Jackie outside an ice cream parlor, but the boy escapes. Three cadets who were with him identify the men in the car for O’Grady, escalating police involvement. The gang war intensifies as authorities close in.

Jackie is killed and buried with military honors on the school grounds. Louie’s best friend stands by him as he swears revenge on Gimpy and Midget. The tragedy hardens Louie’s resolve to stay in the game and settle scores.

Louie and Mileaway kill Gimpy and dump his body in front of O’Grady’s stakeout. O’Grady warns Louie not to flee town, signaling that Mileaway’s loyalty may be wavering. The crackdown tightens as police pressure mounts on both sides.

O’Grady arrests Mileaway for killing Midget and secures his confession, hoping it will curb the violence. Mileaway calculates that time behind bars will still allow him to enjoy his money. Louie remains imprisoned for Gimpy’s murder, awaiting the next move.

Louie stages a prison escape by pretending to be sick and knocking out a guard, then hides in a dingy room decorated with Napoleon posters. A last supper arrives from the boys, a final gesture of camaraderie before the end. The door opens to the sound of machine guns, leaving Louie’s fate momentarily ambiguous as the film ends.