Burt Lancaster plays Steve Thompson, a person who seals his dark fate if he returns to Los Angeles to get his exwife Anna Dundee (Yvonne DeCarlo) excited to rekindle their love against all better judgement. She supports their affair but then quickly marries mobster Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). Dundee is led by Steve Thompson to a daylight armored-truck robbery to divert suspicion of this event.