(There are Spoilers) Having studied for five years to get his law degree self-confident in his ability in to practice law Johnny Ramirez, Paul Muni, gets the shock of his short professional career as a small time lawyer when he ends up belting defense lawyer Brook Manville, Gavin Gordon, on his first case.
Manville's client he filthy rich and beautifully bread Dale Elwell, Margaret Lindsey, was charged with drunk driving in her demolishing Johnny's friend's Manuel Deago, Arthur Stone, pick-up truck. Made to look like a fool by Manville, with his staling and double-talk tactics, Johnny realized, after clobbering the snide and condescending Manville, that law wasn't his cup of tea and checked out of town,L.A, looking for a new profession. It didn't take long for Johnny to find employment at the Silver Slipper Casino on the Mexican/US border as a bouncer and later manager of the gambling establishment.
Feeling that he's worth a lot more then what his boss Charlie Roak, Eugene Palette, is paying him Johnny ends up owning 25% of the gambling joint with Charlie more then willing to give it to him. As things turn out Charlie's scheming wife Marie, Bette Davis, sees in Johnny a meal ticket and tries to make a play for him. Not falling for Marie's poor little girl, who's needs a lot of lovin', act Johnny is very keen to Marie and refuses to betray his partner Charlie in having an illicit affair with her. It may also be that Johnny wasn't all that attracted to Marie in how cheaply she handled herself as well as how unstable she was.
One evening at the Silver Slipper when Charlie is dead drunk Marie drives him homes and in a flash see the golden opportunity that she's been looking for. Locking the drunk and unconscious Charlie in the garage Marie leaves the motor running which results in,from carbon monoxide poisoning, Charlie's untimely death but in reality cold blooded murder on Marie's part! With Johnny now in complete charge the Silver Slipper really takes off and eventually expands into the new and high class La Rueda nightclub.
On opening night at the La Rueda Dale just happens to show up and Johnny being secretly in love with her starts to make a play for Dale. This all doesn't go too well with the jealous and spiteful Marie who, in a fit of total madness, tries to pin her husband Charlie's death on Johnny not as an accident, as the local court declared, but murder! A murder that Marie, not Johnny, committed!
***SPOILERS*** Johnny was in for the fight of him life in defending himself against Marie's charges but in the end it was her not Johnny who cracked under the pressure. Completely failing apart on the witness stand Marie ended up looking like she was hit by four ten ton trucks, from different directions, as she was trying to cross a busy intersection! Now a free man and wanting to marry his one and only love Dale Johnny gets the surprise of his life. Not only isn't the blue-blooded Dale Elwell interested in the non Waspy Mexican/American johnny Ramariz she also feels that he's in no way good enough for her and the crowd that she hangs with! Finally seeing the light, this after another major shock hits him, Johnny goes back home to L.A to practice law for his own people, Mexican/Americans, who both appreciates both him and the services that he, sometimes free of charge, provides for them.
Manville's client he filthy rich and beautifully bread Dale Elwell, Margaret Lindsey, was charged with drunk driving in her demolishing Johnny's friend's Manuel Deago, Arthur Stone, pick-up truck. Made to look like a fool by Manville, with his staling and double-talk tactics, Johnny realized, after clobbering the snide and condescending Manville, that law wasn't his cup of tea and checked out of town,L.A, looking for a new profession. It didn't take long for Johnny to find employment at the Silver Slipper Casino on the Mexican/US border as a bouncer and later manager of the gambling establishment.
Feeling that he's worth a lot more then what his boss Charlie Roak, Eugene Palette, is paying him Johnny ends up owning 25% of the gambling joint with Charlie more then willing to give it to him. As things turn out Charlie's scheming wife Marie, Bette Davis, sees in Johnny a meal ticket and tries to make a play for him. Not falling for Marie's poor little girl, who's needs a lot of lovin', act Johnny is very keen to Marie and refuses to betray his partner Charlie in having an illicit affair with her. It may also be that Johnny wasn't all that attracted to Marie in how cheaply she handled herself as well as how unstable she was.
One evening at the Silver Slipper when Charlie is dead drunk Marie drives him homes and in a flash see the golden opportunity that she's been looking for. Locking the drunk and unconscious Charlie in the garage Marie leaves the motor running which results in,from carbon monoxide poisoning, Charlie's untimely death but in reality cold blooded murder on Marie's part! With Johnny now in complete charge the Silver Slipper really takes off and eventually expands into the new and high class La Rueda nightclub.
On opening night at the La Rueda Dale just happens to show up and Johnny being secretly in love with her starts to make a play for Dale. This all doesn't go too well with the jealous and spiteful Marie who, in a fit of total madness, tries to pin her husband Charlie's death on Johnny not as an accident, as the local court declared, but murder! A murder that Marie, not Johnny, committed!
***SPOILERS*** Johnny was in for the fight of him life in defending himself against Marie's charges but in the end it was her not Johnny who cracked under the pressure. Completely failing apart on the witness stand Marie ended up looking like she was hit by four ten ton trucks, from different directions, as she was trying to cross a busy intersection! Now a free man and wanting to marry his one and only love Dale Johnny gets the surprise of his life. Not only isn't the blue-blooded Dale Elwell interested in the non Waspy Mexican/American johnny Ramariz she also feels that he's in no way good enough for her and the crowd that she hangs with! Finally seeing the light, this after another major shock hits him, Johnny goes back home to L.A to practice law for his own people, Mexican/Americans, who both appreciates both him and the services that he, sometimes free of charge, provides for them.