A cold-hearted gangster named Eddie (Paul Muni) is betrayed by his comrades and gets sent straight to hell, where he strikes a deal with "Nick" the Devil (Claude Rains). If he returns to Earth to impersonate an honorable judge, he'll also get to take revenge on his enemies. But once he's there, Eddie finds that making good decisions -- and making love to the judge's fiancée (Anne Baxter) -- comes all too easily.