Frankie stumbles on a stash of cash and finds himself way in over his head during the course of one sordid evening filled with greed, lust and violence. The stolen money creates friction between Frankie and his girlfriend Ellie while Frankie must deal with school, his job and the true crooks on his tail.

A cowboy has to get 12,000 dollars in stolen bonds from the ex-girlfriend of his partner, or the gang holding him hostage will kill him.

Widower Lee Hackett (Van Heflin), a cattle rancher who is a product of the old west, tries to bring up his two sons, Ed (Tab Hunter)and Davy (James Darren), in his image, but Ed is wild and unruly. The two brothers are both attracted to Clee Chourard ('Kathryn Grant(I)') but she prefers Davy. Ed's efforts to outshine his father and brother and everyone else leads him into a career of a gunfighter, and a confrontation with his father.