spoiler all too and in real life as well a in the movie and familiar story that happen to many young men who be put in a war zone with a gun and or rifle and in their hand . the case of young and innocent and in never handle or fire a gun and jimmy davis and franchot tone and have be repeat thousand of time over the century when men and like jimmy davis and be force to take up arm for their country . jimmy who at first want to be kick out of the u army but be encourage to stay and by be belt in the mouth and by his good friend fred p. willis and spencer tracy and end up on the front line in france . with jimmy unit pin down by a german machine gun nest he single handedly put it out of commission pick off some half dozen german soldier from the safety of a nearby church steeple . it be when jimmy gun down the last surviving german and who raise his arm in surrender and that an artillery shell hit the steeple seriously wound him . recover from his wound at an army hospital jimmy fell in love with u army volunteer nurse rise duffy and gladys george . rise be really in love with jimmy good friend the happy go lucky fred despite his obnoxious antic towards her . it when fred be lose during the fighting on the western front that rise and think that he be kill and fell in love and later marry jimmy . when fred unexpectedly show up in the french town where jimmy and now fully recover from his wound and be station at thing get very sticky for both him and rise who have already accept jimmy proposal of marriage to her . with wwi over and jimmy marrying rise leave fred and who still in love with her and a bitter and resentful young man . it be almost by accident that fred run into jimmy on the street of new york city and discover to his shock and surprise that he completely change from the meek and non violent person that he know before he be send to war on the european western front . smug and sure of himself and and his ability to shoot a gun and jimmy have become a top mobster in new york city underworld . not only that but as fred later find out his wife rise have no idea what jimmy be really involve in with jimmy tell her that he work a a law abiding and inoffensive insurance adjuster . jimmy life of crime come full circle when rise and after she find out about his secret life and rat him out to the police to prevent him from execute a valentine day like massacre and with his gang member dress a cop and of his rival mobster . while on trial jimmy come to his sens and admit his guilt willing to face the music and then and after his three year sentence be up and get his life back together . spoiler alert hear rumor from fellow convict that rise and his best friend fred be have an affair behind his back jimmy break out of prison end up a fugitive from the law . it at fred circus and where he work a both manger and barker and that jimmy in see that rise as well a fred be true to him that he and like at his trial and have a sudden change of heart . but the thought of go back to prison and with at least another ten year add on to his sentence and be just too much for jimmy . it be then that jimmy decide to end it all by let the police who by then track him down do the job and that he himself do not have the heart to do and for him .