Poster writes a gossip column for the Morning Gazette. He will write about anyone and everyone as long as he gets the credit. He gets most of his information from his gal, Peggy who is a showgirl. When Bill sees Tony stab Angelo Spinelli to death in a speak easy, he puts it front page of the Gazette. But on the night that he goes out with heiress Mildred, he slips the diamond that came from Peggy's finger on Mildred's finger and announces his engagement - while tattling about her friends in his column. This gets him in dutch with Mildred and Peggy. At the same time, the cops cannot find Tony, but Tony is looking for Poster to thank him for the publicity.—Tony Fontana <[email protected]>
Although popular with his readers, New York newspaper columnist William "Bill" Poster (Ricardo Cortez), the "Keyhole to the City," aggravates both his publisher and his girl friend, Broadway musical performer Peggy Bannon (Helen Twelvetrees), with his unconcerned, selfish ways. When Peggy, who has been feeding Bill gossip tidbits for five years, informs Bill about the unexpected departure of socialite Mildred Huntington (Jill Esmond) for Europe, Bill rushes to the dock and, posing as a steward, infiltrates Mildred's boat cabin. After applying his charm on Mildred, who has just broken her socially acceptable engagement, Bill convinces her to take a tour of America with him instead of going to Europe. Bill then receives a tip from one of his informants that Italian mobster Angelo Spinetti (Fletcher Norton) will be confronting bartender Tony Mugatti (Sidney Toler) in Tony's speakeasy that night. Determined to scoop the story, Bill uses Peggy to trick his rival, the scrupulous Ed Maloney (Robert Armstrong), into leaving the speakeasy and then sees Tony kill Angelo. Although Tony warns Bill to keep quiet, Bill immediately calls in the front page story. Later, Bill receives a letter from Mildred reminding him of their tour, and he abandons Peggy to escort the socialite on an exotic tour of the city. After a night on Mildred's yacht, Bill gives her Peggy's engagement ring and announces his engagement to Mildred in his column. During his next radio news broadcast, Bill reads a threatening letter from Tony and calmly predicts that the Italian will be caught and punished. As he speaks, Peggy comes by and, after reading Bill's column, sees her ring on Mildred. Furious at Bill's betrayal, Peggy tells him that she is going to reveal the truth behind their love affair to Ed, while Mildred, who is angry at Bill for gossiping about her friends, breaks their engagement. Desperate, Bill begs Ed not to print Peggy's story, but when Ed refuses to comply, he decides to deflate Ed's column by "confessing" his shortcomings in his own column. Impressed by Bill's nerve, Ed gets drunk with his rival, who is then shot by Tony. Bill survives his wounds and, after reuniting with Peggy as a reformed man, learns that Ed captured Tony and beat him to the headline.
William Poster (Ricardo Cortez) is the famous muck-raking reporter on New York City's fictional Morning Gazette who knows the secrets of the upper crust. He refuses to back down when faced with lawsuits. He fills his water cooler with a carefully mixed cocktail. Peggy Bannon (Helen Twelvetrees), his long-suffering showgirl lover --- now a star, she has worn his diamond ring for five years --- feeds him information for his column. Peggy tells him that socialite and blue-blooded heiress Mildred Huntington (Jill Esmond) has broken her engagement and is sailing to Europe. Poster sneaks aboard. Instantly attracted to each other, they begin an affair and take the pilot boat back to New York.
One night, Poster --- following a hot tip --- meets Peggy in a speakeasy. Maloney (Robert Armstrong), reporter on a rival paper, The Evening Examiner, is there. Poster boasts about his success and how much money he makes, but Maloney says the price in lost integrity is too high. Poster sends Peggy out to phone Maloney's wife, who calls the bar and tells him to come home. Spinetti (Fletcher Norton) comes into the bar and argues with Tony (Sidney Toler) in Italian. Tony stabs him to death when Spinetti reaches into a pocket --- to pull out a cigar. Poster witnesses the murder. Tony tells the couple horrific stories of people who are tortured and mutilated because they did not keep secrets.
Poster calls the paper and reports the murder. Peggy is frightened and angry. He praises her poetically to the telephone operator and they end up kissing in the phone booth. Tony calls the office to issue some veiled threats, which Peggy witnesses. She fiddles nervously with her ring, which is loose. Poster takes it to have it remounted.
Meanwhile, Poster follows through on his promise to show Mildred New York City. Literally giving her a penny for her thoughts, he accidentally pulls out Peggy's ring, which she accepts as a proposal for engagement, and he decides to play along. Peggy hears his engagement announcement during his live radio show, and sees Mildred and her diamond ring accompanying Poster.
On the Gazette radio show, Poster reports on Mildred's friends' secrets. He also reveals that Tony has threatened him, says straight out that Tony committed murder --- and that he just testified before the grand jury.
Peggy is fed up with his two-timing and "tells all" to Maloney at The Examiner. Mildred has also had it, and gives Poster back his ring. Maloney is set to print the sordid details of Poster's romances, but Poster breaks the scandal himself in his own column. Tony comes into the office from the fire escape, shoots Poster, and returns the way he came.
In the hospital, Peggy warns Poster that he may not be so lucky in the future. He promises to be "everybody's big brother" and wonders if they ever caught Tony. Maloney hands him a huge bouquet of roses, wrapped in The Examiner, whose headline proclaims "Reporter Nabs Killer" with the subhead "Edward Maloney captures armed desperado." Furious, Poster calls Maloney a "double-crossing rat" who scooped him on his own shooting. "Ah, ah, ah!" Peggy puts her hand over his mouth. Poster calms down and smiles: "Is my face red!"
