The Dead End Kids, led by Tommy Gordon, are a gang of street urchins who are already well on the path to a life of petty crime.

Members of the gang besides Tommy include Dippy, Angel, Spit, T.B., and Milty, the new kid on the block in search of friends.

Despondent over the failed visit, he decides to kidnap the rich child for ransom to make the trip back worthwhile.

Managing to pull himself out of the river, Dave pursues the hoodlums, knocking out Hunk and chasing Martin on the rooftops before cornering him on a fire escape.

While on the ground, Martin engages oncoming police officers in a firefight, shooting a couple before they open fire and kill him.

As the police and a crowd of people gather around Martin's body, the doorman recognizes Spit as being a member of the gang that attacked the rich kid's father, and identifies him to Officer Mulligan.

As Drina, Dave, and Tommy leave with Mulligan, the rest of the Dead End Kids meander off into the night, singing "If I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I would fly".

[3] Robert Osborne, film historian, stated that Joel McCrea had a tough time working with Humphrey Bogart, especially during the scene "on the rooftop, guns ready, and standing very close to each other.

[citation needed] The official name of the "Dead End" Kids is on the brick wall in chalk behind the boys as they play cards.

Writing in The New York Times, Carter B. Horsley said of the River House: "Erected in 1931 when its area still teemed with tenements, it was mocked in the famous and popular 1936 movie, Dead End that was Lillian Hellman's adaptation of Sidney Kingsley's play.

"[5] Writing for Night and Day in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, characterizing it as "one of the best pictures of the year".