Tom Buchan (Colleano) is an alcoholic journalist whose once memorable work has been destroyed by his constant drunken antics that have cost him his future. Buchan boasts to his colleagues that they report news, whilst he ''makes'' it. He sees a chance for redemption by getting the life story of Gino Rossi (James), an Italian crime boss on the run. He wins Rossi's confidence by tipping him off to the police coming to arrest them (after Buchan himself tipped off the police).