Every small business must pay protection to Chili Scarpelli's mob or face swift and violent retribution. District Attorney Martin Werth's best efforts have failed to curtail the gangsters. Mob war explodes when a rival gang headed by Johnny Melinas comes to town. But when Melinas emerges from a secret meeting with the D. A. wearing a police uniform, both mobsters and lawmen are puzzled. With the motto, "Get out or get shot!" Martin places Johnny at the head of his Police Department, assigned with blasting the Scarpelli mob into oblivion!
Silent star Jack Mulhall, whose career was waning, delivered a fine performance in Night Beat. In several more years he would begin to appear uncredited, but continued to work steadily until 1959, appearing in hundreds of motion pictures. George Seitz dominated silent serials as a writer, actor and director, but is best known for his noteworthy direction of several Andy Hardy films for MGM.