Burt Lancaster plays with Steve Thompson, a person who seals his shadowy fate if he returns to Los Angeles to locate his ex-wife Anna Dundee (Yvonne DeCarlo) eager to reestablish their love against better judgement. She promotes their affair but quickly marries mobster Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). Dundee is led by Steve Thompson to a daytime armored-truck robbery to divert suspicion of this event.