A prison drama remarkable only for Walter Huston and a chilling early appearance by Karloff. (The scene where Karloff stalks a squealer with the prisoners' voices booming in the background is haunting--the only good scene in the film.) This movie--which suffers from the puppy-dog manner of pretty boy Phillips Holmes and the limitations of early sound recording--will be a disappointment for Hawks fans, particularly since the theme itself ("codes" men live by) is quintessentially Hawksian.

Decent early Hawks picture with a great performance from Boris Karloff.