Pittsburgh Markham (John Wayne) is a coal-miner with backwoods roots, but he has ambition. He's out to get ahead any way he can, whether by forcing friend Cash (Randolph Scott) to box, stringing along the glamorous Josie (Marlene Dietrich), swindling a suit from a surly tailor (Shemp Howard), forging the signature of a steel mill owner or greasing up to a steel magnate (Samuel S. Hinds) by marrying his daughter (Louise Allbritton). Eventually, Markham seeks redemption for his ruthlessness.