Upon release from prison, gangster Eddie Kagle (Paul Muni) is killed by his partner in crime, Smiley Williams (Hardie Albright). Kagle ends up in Hell, where “Nick” (Claude Rains) offers him a chance to escape hell and avenge his own death in exchange for help with a problem. Kagle looks exactly like Judge Frederick Parker, an upright man who is causing Nick distress because he is entirely too honest. Nick fears that Parker may cause him more anxiety in future, as he is running for governor of his state. Nick wants to destroy Parker’s reputation and Kagle readily agrees to have his soul transferred into Parker’s body. As soon as Kagle appears as Parker, odd things begin to happen. Kagle pursues his goal with evil intent (though often at cross purposes with the Devil), but everything he does to ruin the judge’s reputation somehow results in making Parker look better. Along the way, Kagle becomes acquainted with Barbara Foster (Anne Baxter), the judge’s fiancée. He falls in love with her himself, causing him to question his whole outlook on life and eventually rebels against Nick. Nick presents Kagle the opportunity to shoot Williams but instead Kagle confronts the man with the truth. Shocked and frightened, Williams backs away and falls out an open window to his death. Exasperated and defeated, Nick takes Kagle back to Hell, leaving Judge Parker in a much better position than before. Nick threatens to make the ormed man’s existence even more painful than usual, but Kagle blackmails his would-be tormentor; in return for not revealing Nick’s errors in the episode, Kagle requests to be a Trustee#Other uses. Nick has no option but to agree to Kagle’s demands.
