paul muni and bette davis overact monstrously while lacklustre studio hack archie mayo seem distract and oblivious in this racially provocative film that derive it bittersweet end by condone segregationist attitude . heavy hand and poorly construct the film collapse under it own weight within the first fifteen minute with an out of control courtroom scene that it never recover from a mr. muni begin to chew up scenery by the yard hollering and howl away in an almost incoherent fashion . johnny ramirez be a mexican american from the other side of the track who through determination and grit attain a law degree from a store front night school . in his first big case involve an auto accident he display only ineptitude and be quickly make to look the fool by his well heel opponent and an impatient judge who recommend he be disbar . devastate by the setback an angry johnny take on a job at a gambling joint where he be befriend by the owner charlie roark ( eugene palette ) who like his style . the owner cut him in on the place but problem arise with mrs. roark ( davis ) who also want a piece of johnny . she kill charlie and implicates johnny and slowly go mad before he be acquit and free to be with a high society wasp who coldly explain to him that they be from different tribe and savage and it will never work . when she flee to escape his rage she be run over and kill by a car . ramirez sell the casino and move back to his poor neighborhood rationalize that it best to stay with your own . in addition to this appalling denouement bordertown have a series of bad performance to compliment the overall ugliness of the story . unfair a his plight might be and muni ramirez be so abrasive and arrogant it become hard to show sympathy for such a bull head blunderer . davis be no good a the less than loyal wife match the same adolescent emotion of muni . her lady macbeth mad scene give no indication that she be about to become the best film actress of her era . margaret lindsay a muni american dream be cold and remote and flat . bad a bordertown be ( and it be very ) it remain an interesting indicator of the time and acceptable attitude . the rest be just a mishmash of bad acting and uninspired direction .