[1] During World War II, a diverse group of people in war-ravaged London book passage for the United States, but Austrian pianist-turned-soldier in the Résistance Henry Bergner (Paul Henreid) is unable to join them, for want of an exit permit.

Searching the streets for him during a German air raid, his wife Ann (Eleanor Parker) witnesses a bomb obliterate a car full of passengers on their way to the docks.

Timid Anglican priest Reverend William Duke (Dennis King) yearns to more actively help others, while American merchant sailor Pete Musick (George Tobias) looks forward to seeing his infant child for the first time.

A kind-hearted older woman, Mrs. Midget (Sara Allgood), tells Thomas Prior (John Garfield), a newspaperman, that she would be content with a little place of her own.

Prior is the first to learn the truth when he eavesdrops on Henry and Ann, and, spurned by his wealth-seeking actress companion, Maxine Russell (Faye Emerson), in favor of unscrupulous war profiteer Mr. Lingley (George Coulouris), reveals all to the other passengers.

When the Examiner arrives, he is revealed to be the deceased Reverend Tim Thompson (Sydney Greenstreet), someone Duke knew well in life.

Prior tries to gamble his way into Heaven by rigging a deck of cards, but when his sleight of hand is trumped by the Examiner's powers, he demands oblivion.

Returned to their apartment, Henry finds a window shattered by a bomb blast, letting in fresh air and thwarting their suicide attempt.

The Hays Code, which was not in effect in 1930, when Outward Bound was filmed, prevented Ann and Henry from being depicted as illicit lovers, and instead demanded that they be turned into husband and wife.

Paul Henreid wrote in his memoirs that he felt the film was hurt by revealing the characters were dead at the beginning, which "took away from the eerie quality of the play.