While in prison, convict J. Chalmers "Pressure" Maxwell turns down a proposal by fellow convict Leo Dexter to rob a bank after their release. Pressure intends to go straight and move to Florida to run a dog racing track together with his adopted daughter, Denny Costello, and old friends Weepy Davis and Jug Martin. After he is released from prison, however, Pressure learns that they will need $25,000 to go into business. Pressure tries to borrow the money from the bank, but as he has no collateral, the loan is refused. The frustrated Pressure then decides to rob the bank. With Jug's help, Pressure stages an automobile accident to raise the money to buy a failing luggage store next to the bank. The group only intends to use the store as a front while they tunnel through the basement into the bank vault, but Weepy succumbs to salesman Jeff Randolph's pitch and purchases a huge order of luggage. Denny, who is unaware of the robbery plan, is in the store when the luggage arrives and she persuades Pressure to keep it. Determined to help Pressure succeed, Denny and Jeff then concoct a series of promotional schemes which keep the store filled with customers as well as inhibit Jug's noisy tunneling activities. Meanwhile, the local merchants beg Pressure to ask the city to fix their torn-up street, which is keeping customers away. Pressure's half-hearted request so confuses the official in charge that the street is fixed almost immediately and business booms. Then bank officers, wishing to expand the bank's quarters, offer to buy the store. Denny encourages Pressure to sell, but before he can, Leo breaks out of prison and, having learned of Pressure's plans, tries to muscle in on the robbery. By this time, Pressure has become so successful in the luggage business that he has dropped his plans for the robbery, but Leo insists that they dynamite the wall between the bank and the store anyway. Pressure tries to delay the explosion until he can resell the store to Homer Bigelow, its former owner. On Christmas Eve, the night set for the explosion, Homer, Pressure and Leo are all in the store. Leo knocks Homer unconscious, but he manages to push the burglar alarm before he collapses. When Pressure stops Leo from shooting Homer, Leo also knocks him unconscious and runs out of the store, where the police are waiting for him. The store catches fire and Pressure saves Homer from the flames. Now a hero, Pressure makes plans for a new, larger luggage store, and Denny accepts Jeff's marriage proposal.