The 1947 film "Odd Man Out" is a crime drama based on the 1945 novel written by F. L. Green. The story is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Johnny McQueen is a leader with the "Organization", an unnamed group who commit robberies and other crimes. The men rob a company finance office of a large amount of cash but while escaping, Johnny shoots an employee and is shot himself. The other gang members escape in a car leaving the wounded Johnny to hide out in the city from the ensuing police manhunt. At one point a policeman approaches a little girl who has seen Johnny and offers her a coin for information on his whereabouts. She accepts the coin but gives vague information. The coin appears to be the size of a British florin or half crown.

The film opens with a prologue:

The unnamed "Organization" is holding a meeting about planning a robbery of a company pay office. In those days companies had to keep currency and coins on hand to pay their workers in cash.

Johnny McQueen, the leader of the group, has been in prison and has just escaped.

The other members believe that Johnny's prison time has softened him and want another man to lead the robbery. Johnny insists that he will lead it. Johnny has a girlfriend, Kathleen Sullivan, who lives with her grandmother.

The men drive to the company office.

Johnny grabs the cash and the group leaves. Outside, a company employee accosts Johnny.

Johnny shoots the employee and is shot himself in the shoulder. The employee dies and prompts a massive police search for the gang. The other gang members drive off in their car leaving Johnny who, seriously injured, moves around the city hiding from the police. He first hides in a World War II bomb shelter. Two other gang members stop at guest house but the manager calls the police and the two men are killed in a gunfight. Another member finds Johnny but is captured by the police before he can help him. Still in the shelter, Johnny rests when a little girl enters.

She sees Johnny, leaves with her ball, and will appear later. The Organization holds a meeting.

They discuss searching for and rescuing Johnny. The police manhunt for Johnny continues and his crimes have made him the idol of little boys.

A policeman arrives and the boys ask him about Johnny but they just ask for money.

The policeman sees a little girl standing separately, she is the girl who saw Johnny in the shelter. The policeman makes her an offer.

The policeman holds out a coin which appears to be a British florin (2 shillings) or half crown (2-1/2 shillings) coin, both of these were a lot of money to a child in those days.

The girl accepts the coin and vaguely points out Johnny's location. Johnny, however, has left the shelter and has been found by a man, "Shell" who took him to a junkyard where he lives. Kathleen starts searching for Johnny and visits a dance hall.

The dance hall has a warning sign.

Not everyone obeys the sign.

The "Jitterbug" was a popular wild dance at that time. Kathleen goes to see a priest, Father Tom, and runs into Shell.

Father Tom tells her that Johnny has to turn himself in and accept his punishment, but Shell offers to sell Johnny to her for money. Meanwhile, Johnny has entered a large pub and is recognized by a pub worker, who wants him out to avoid problems. Lukey, a local eccentric artist, happens to be there and the pub worker pays him to take him to his studio.

Lukey and another man help Johnny out and take him to the artist's studio.

Lukey wants to use Johnny, now delirious, as a model for a painting.

Lukey has a former medical student friend treat Johnny's injury, but not very well. Johnny then leaves the studio and encounters Kathleen, who has been followed.

The police catch up with the pair, Kathleen pulls out a gun and fires at the policemen, they return fire killing both Johnny and her.

James Mason as Johnny McQueen
Kathleen Ryan as Kathleen Sullivan
Denis O'Dea as Inspector
W. G. Fay as Father Tom
F. J. McCormick as Shell
Robert Newton as Lukey, the artist
Director: Carol Reed
Writers: R. C. Sherriff, F. L. Green (novel)