Steve Grey, reporter for the Daily Star, has a habit of scooping all the other papers in town. When Henry Mander is investigated for the murder of his shady business partner, Grey is one step ahead of the police to the extent that he often dictates his story in advance of its actual occurrence. He leads the police through an 'open and shut' case resulting in Mander being tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Columnist Mary Shannon is in love with Steve but she sees him struggle greatly with his last story before Mander's execution. When she starts typing out the story from his recorded dictation, she realizes why.
Spencer Tracy
as Steven 'Steve' Grey
Virginia Bruce
as Mary Shannon
Lionel Atwill
as Captain Cole
Harvey Stephens
as Henry Mander
Robert Barrat
as Robins
James Stewart
as Shorty
William Collier Sr.
as 'Pop' Grey
Bobby Watson
as Carey Booth
William Demarest
as 'Red' Maguire
John Sheehan
as Sweeney
Lucien Littlefield
as Rafferty
George Chandler
as Sol Hertzberger
