Big Town Scandal

One night, a gang of teenagers loots a sporting goods store but is caught by police. Because his nephew Frankie Sneed is one of those arrested, bail bondsman Louie Sneed asks Illustrated Press reporter Lorelei Kilbourne to intervene on Frankie's behalf. The hearing before Judge Hogan is attended by both Lorelei and a reporter from the competing paper The Chronicle . Frankie's gang is comprised of Waldo "Dum Dum" Riggs, a deaf-mute boy, Tommy Malone, Harold "Skinny" Peters, and Johnny "Pinkie" Jones, all of whom are first-time offenders and have no parents to look after them. Lorelei argues with the judge on their behalf, and although her editor and boyfriend, Steve Wilson, believes all juvenile delinquents should be sent to reform school, she suggests that they be paroled into Steve's custody. When the judge agrees to this arrangement, Steve argues with Lorelei until he realizes that it will make a great story for the paper. Steve and his publisher, Amos Peabody, create a recreation center for the boys at the site of the paper's former building. When the recreation center is finished, Steve coaches the boys' basketball team, and Tommy becomes the captain of the team. One day, Tommy tries to impress his girl friend, Marian Harrison, by sitting in gangster Joe Moreley's fancy car. Marian leaves when Moreley comes along, but Tommy convinces him to let him drive. When the police follow Tommy because he is speeding, Moreley tells him that the car is stolen, and Tommy realizes his parole may be compromised. Moreley jumps out of the car at an opportune moment, and Tommy successfully eludes the police and hides the car in the recreation center's garage. After he finds stolen furs in the trunk, Tommy demands that Moreley give him a cut of the sale of the furs, and when Moreley then wants to keep the car at the recreation center, Tommy agrees to give him a key in exchange for a cut of all his deals, which include betting. Lorelei and Steve soon become concerned when they see Tommy flaunting large amounts of cash, and when Steve confronts Tommy, the boy says he has been betting on the basketball games. Steve is appalled and insists that Tommy stop immediately or he will close the recreation center. Tommy tries to tell Moreley that he will no longer place bets for him on the center's games, but Moreley slaps him around until he agrees to throw the next game. Everyone is surprised when Tommy plays so poorly that the team loses its next game. Tommy complains when Moreley uses the center as a hiding place after another fur heist, but Moreley and his thug, Cato, beat the boy until he agrees to throw another game. When Dum-Dum discovers Tommy and Moreley's secret, he brings it to the attention of the whole gang, and although they blame Tommy, they decide to return the furs so no one will get in trouble. Late one night, Tommy and Pinkie break into a store and deposit the furs while their friends wait outside. When an alarm is sounded, however, Tommy tells his pals to leave, and he and Pinkie try to escape. Although Tommy escapes, Pinkie is shot and killed by police. The police find fingerprints at the store and plan on fingerprinting the whole gang, but Steve holds them off until after that night's basketball game. Tommy suffers remorse over Pinkie's death, and urges his teammates to win to honor their friend. At half-time, Moreley and Cato threaten to kill Tommy unless he throws the game. Refusing to buckle to the outlaws, Tommy shoots his last basket, and is shot by Cato. The boys point out the thugs to the police, who capture Cato. When Moreley tries to escape, Dum-Dum climbs into the stands and struggles with the gangster, who falls out of the stands. Later in the hospital, Tommy recuperates from his injury, having made a full confession to the police. Lorelei and Steve tell him that Judge Hogan has decided that, despite his transgression, their program seems successful, and he is putting three more delinquents into their custody.