Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.
James Cagney
as Tom Powers
Jean Harlow
as Gwen Allen
Edward Woods
as Matt Doyle
Joan Blondell
as Mamie
Donald Cook
as Mike Powers
Leslie Fenton
as Samuel 'Nails' Nathan
Beryl Mercer
as Ma Powers
Robert Emmett O'Connor
as Paddy Ryan
Murray Kinnell
as Putty Nose
Clark Burroughs
as Dutch (uncredited)
Mae Clarke
as Kitty (uncredited)
Frank Coghlan Jr.
as Tom as a Boy (uncredited)
