The Finger Points

Breck Lee arrives in the big city with hopes of becoming a newspaperman. He is hired by The Press and begins his rookie career. His first assignment is to uncover a newly opened gambling parlor.

Gangster Louis J. Blanco tries to bribe Lee to keep quiet about the casino. Lee refuses to take the bribe, choosing journalistic integrity. He then publishes the casino story, triggering a police raid.

Lee is mugged and severely beaten by gangsters following the casino raid. He is rushed to the hospital for treatment and recovery. The assault leaves him shaken and more determined to report the truth.

After leaving the hospital, Lee returns to work at The Press. He longs to marry Marcia Collins, but his meager salary and the medical bills keep that dream out of reach. The financial strain weighs on him as he plans for the future.

Lee approaches City Editor Frank Carter to request a raise, hoping for better pay. Carter refuses to increase his salary, leaving Lee frustrated. The denial deepens his financial pressures.

Feeling the lure of cash, Lee revisits Blanco with a deal to refrain from reporting on the organization in exchange for money. Blanco pays for his silence, and Lee begins to feel untouchable by the growing wealth. The arrangement tightens the criminals' grip on him.

Marcia grows wary of the sudden wealth surrounding Lee and what he might be doing to obtain it. Lee tries to reassure her, denying any illegal activity, but the doubt lingers. Their relationship strains under the cloud of money.

Lee decides to push for a bigger share by pressuring the gangsters for more money. He uses his leverage as a journalist to threaten to publish damaging information. The power struggle escalates as he grasps the potential for greater corruption.

Lee meets Number One, the head of the organization, and secures a larger graft. Number One warns him that publishing the information could put him in serious danger. The warning signals a growing line Lee should not cross.

Lee resolves to reform and leave the city with Marcia if she will marry him. Marcia agrees to the plan, but Breezy Russell publishes the gambling story in a bid to win her favor. The revelation fuels new tensions that threaten the couple's plans.

Lee goes to the bank to retrieve the money Blanco paid him. He is tailed by gangsters and killed before he can leave the city. The life he sacrificed his ethics for ends in tragedy.

At his funeral, Lee is hailed as a hero for his writings against the gambling ring. Marcia remains silent, knowing the truth about his choices. The truth about his methods lingers between memory and consequence.