In order to save his sister Rosalie (Anne Bancroft) from social embarrasment, crime lord Phil Regal (Anthony Quinn) gets the father of her unborn baby, condemned murderer Nicky Bradna (Farley Granger) paroled so he can marry her. Meanwhile, reporter Joe McFarland (Peter Graves) is writing an expose on Regal's criminal empire. When Rosalie miscarries, Nicky returns to his womanizing and criminal ways only to get framed by Regal and put back on Death Row.