Two Seconds

A riveter who rises among the girders of a skyscraper, John is a nervous, guilt-ridden man whose world tightens around him after Bud's death. His vulnerability and susceptibility to Shirley's manipulation push him toward violent acts and reckless decisions. By the end, he is a condemned man who believes his life has been warped by a corrupt world he could not escape.

A glamorous yet calculating dancer who uses marriage to pull John deeper into debt and dependency. She cynically exploits John’s weaknesses and social pretensions, driving a wedge between him and Bud and fueling the couple's downward spiral. Her ruthlessness ultimately triggers the film's fatal end.

John's friend and fellow riveter whose supportive presence turns tragic after his death, which shatters John and accelerates his descent. Bud's practical warnings about Shirley contrast with John's naiveté, highlighting themes of loyalty and the fragility of male friendship in a tough urban world.

Dance hall owner and broker of the underworld who profits from the volatile mix of glamour and vice in the Prohibition era. He exploits John's desperation and Shirley's ambitions, adding a brutal edge to the couple's already precarious situation.

The prison warden who delivers the stark reality of execution, framing the dramatic question of how long the condemned suffer. He embodies the machine-like finality of justice in the film's moral universe.

A sharp gambler who helps John ride the polys, offering a momentary financial reprieve from debts. His involvement triggers a chain of decisions that push John toward violent acts.

The landlady's cleaning lady who represents the working-class world of the boarding house and hints at the pressures of rent and eviction that haunt the main characters.

Bud's former partner who appears in the social orbit of the characters, symbolizing the precariousness of relationships inside the nightlife milieu.

A physician who assesses John in prison and frames his condition as psychological, underscoring the film's exploration of mental strain under crime and punishment.

A minor figure present at the execution, his presence marks the public ritual of punishment that closes John Allen's arc.

An uncredited minor character who adds texture to the nightlife world that surrounds the central tragedy.

A minor character who embodies the crowd of everyday people intersecting with the film's central drama.